Hey everyone! Paradigm of Writing here with a brand new chapter in Capitol's Strike- #21: Remember the Wolf. Do you remember the wolf from chapter sixteen? You might remember that it/he caused a slight of hand and caused Marie's death? Anyone? Going once, going twice? Alright... forget it. It's name was Korrith. Yep, it/he's back and better than ever! Also, I am absolutely bouncing up and down in my seat because of this amazing thing called SYOT's, or Submit Your Own Tributes. And guess what? I am got in one and had a tribute accepted! If you've ever heard of TallTalesInk, this fanfiction author has created four amazing SYOT's, two of which are finished, one still in the works, and one to yet really be started. The one that hasn't been started yet is entitled Facing the Fallout, which is the 68th Hunger Games believe. She's accepting submissions for one more tribute, the male from District 11. If you haven't submitted for Miss TallTalesInk, I suggest you take this opportunity. I sent her a tribute, named Nixon Lowman originally for Districts 4, 5, 6, and even 8. I am beyond thrilled that Nixon is even in the story, regardless of what district I received, which was District 10. So take a look at her stuff, she's a wonderful writer, and can turn even the most hated characters into the greatest creations ever. Alright, let's get to the chapter!

President Ammadeus Snow P.O.V

You'd find it hard to believe that Ammadeus was saddened by Birch's death just the day before. He, being the quite cold man he was never really found the tributes deaths to be as quite as emotional on him as they were towards Jerald. That could be blamed on the fact that he never spent time in the Training Center watching the tributes train, but he never found much connection. However, when Birch Lido from District 7 died... that stung Ammadeus quite hard and his heart became like the Grinch's, and grew three times bigger than normal.

Birch Lido gave the arena a sense of wanted humor, although the arena is no place for wisecrack jokes or sarcasm. It usually casts off the vibe of kill, kill, kill, not laugh to your heart's content. The District 7 male however lit Ammadeus's spirit up whenever he was focused on screen, whenever he'd advert his attention from the actually boring Careers or Lone Hunters. The axe wielding, tree hugging duo fit like pieces of a puzzle and when Rose died, Ammadeus was stunned as he had forgotten all about the mechanical and paper tiger he had placed in the arena. When Birch died, his heart stopped and he became numb; more than stunned; more than shocked. He was horrified.

Given that Ammadeus wasn't close to any of these tributes, why did Birch mean so much to him? It's not because he loved the kid, no. There is no pedophilia here with Ammadeus's emotions. It was because Birch was one of the only tributes here in the arena that truly were still human. Like a diamond in the rough, Birch never really shone in the Capitol's eyes, people like Flint, Eve, and Jake stealing the spotlight as people who showcased that they'd do anything to win. The president of Panem watched as 24 innocent spirits became demented under this guise of battle, death, and eventual victory if you lasted. People like Rust, and Violet were already messed up when they arrived, as that type of lifestyle was their everyday take on the world. Eve, Rye, Jake, Mako, Ryder, Flint, and the rest of the Career pack were technically normal, but then the days just strode on to reveal darker sides of them. Eve just snapped like a twig at Birch's death, revealing that she always planned on killing the alliance she so carefully earned the trust of. Birch made her sane, and he found true love between the two of them.

Rye's love for Cranston is obsession, not mutual affection. If you had to hear what Ammadeus heard Rye mumble about parasitical love coming from his own ally, it'd freak anyone out; no matter how strong. Jake and Mako took the advantage of being some of the stronger adversaries in the competition, using it to their own personal gain by making an alliance of other 'strong' tributes. Ryder was cold and calculative, while putting on a defensive front that he was weak and using blind anger to showcase for his faults. With Ellen out of the way, dead in the first few seconds of the Cornucopia, Ryder could be as devastating as he wanted to be.

Flint now found an obsession in becoming stronger than Jake in the arena, becoming the true threat of the games all along. Tyranny was the best way to intimidate your opponents and rise to the occasion, using his newly given training score of 12 to bring out his power in everything he did. By taking the reigns of the Careers, Flint Terio was trying to make his alliance a grand enemy, when now; even with two more additions, they were still as pathetic as they were back when they started. Diamond is in the same boat, wanting to be as good as Eve Gladius, now that her own training score is poor compared to her enemy, which Diamond's actually never declared to be...

"Ammadeus," Jerald's voice said, jutting through Ammadeus's pristine thoughts of the tributes, "May I ask you a question?"

Ammadeus snapped his head up from his resting position, a crick in his neck from his seating position. He rubbed the back of his head to try and smother the pain and tossed a glance at his cohort. "Yes Jerald, you may. You shouldn't have to ask me if you can pose a question. We are on the same level of authority, you do realize that? Ask away."

Jerald gave his attention to the arena projection in front of the iron table where the two males sat. "Remember that wolf from four to five days back? The one that inadvertently caused Marie's death by Jake."

"Korrith, is that what you're asking about? The wolf named Korrith?" Ammadeus replied back, leaning forward to his partner.

Jerald nodded. "Yes, that weird talking thing! Well, it's on the prowl again, and this time he has company. Four timber wolves are with him, and they're scrounging for meat, preferably tribute flesh if I tap into Korrith's memory brain."

The Head Gamemaker double tapped the upper right side of the table, and pushed the projection up to the middle of the room. Ammadeus saw the five timber wolves and their snow white cloaks running through the jungle, snarling and howling at any opportunity they could get. The camera's primary focus was on the leader Korrith, the wolf's mouth showing a line of razor sharp teeth that gleamed in the arena's sunlight. Jerald moved the sound bar on the table up to let the president hear his own creation's thoughts.

"Flesh... human flesh... I need it now. Where is some human flesh?" Korrith's thoughts boomed from the loudspeaker, the ferocity causing Ammadeus to jump.

Jerald silenced the speaker and turned towards his boss... err... partner as Ammadeus claimed they were on the same level of authority. "Korrith is looking to kill a tribute."

"What do you want me to do about it," Ammadeus said back harshly, cold fury sliding through his words. "I can't exactly cause that beast to explode into flames and have it die. Korrith wants flesh, he can go get some flesh. Necessarily, if you're telling me you don't want to see a tribute be ripped apart by wolves, I suggest you get up and leave. That's inevitable. Someone's dying... and it won't be pretty."

Jerald breathed and turned to face the screen, already bracing for the nervous and tense moments to follow. "I was afraid you would of said that." the Head Gamemaker mumbled.

Nydia Jones: District 12 Female P.O.V

It seems as if our alliance has taken a silver bullet. Birch is gone... and it happened by accident. It wasn't even purposeful, because Cranston misfired his arrow and Flint took his brand new shield to his advantage. Cranston seemed to be taking the incident hard, the poor guy has been sulking all day next to the small stream running through our camp. Last night, nightmares must've plagued his mind because he screamed out more than once about Birch dying at his own hands, then having to sit and hold him in his arms. We couldn't get any sleep because of it, so we are all looking like zombies right now, deep black circles rounding my opal eyes. I tried practicing archery today, but my arm was not having it.

Cranston decided to wake up a moment ago, because he must've been tired of his horrid dreams he's been having for the past eight hours or so. Grabbing my quiver and bow, I landed my body next to my wounded ally. "Hey." I greeted warmly, flashing a smile.

Cranston returned the favor with little effort, his smile seeming almost fake and phony. "Hi Nydia. How are you doing?"

"Fine, just tired," I replied, slinging my arm over his shoulder. "How about you?"

"Like the worst person in the world," Cranston mumbled. "Birch is dead because of me. Had I not fired my arrow at Flint, he wouldn't be dead. I have a psychotic ex-girlfriend trapped in this arena who wants to kill me. Everything is just peachy!"

I frowned. "Velvet probably will come to her senses." I admonished, trying to make my wounded ally see something positive in his tirade of depression and sulk.

"She was not coming to any sort of sense at the feast yesterday. She took my bag, so I have no idea what I even could've gotten. You saw how crazy she was when she dived towards us." Cranston snapped angrily, kicking a pebble into the stream.

Cranston did have a point, Velvet looked quite pissed at him when she tried to kill us. If I hadn't shouted at him to scatter about, he might have ended with a knife in his neck, Velvet towering over him with some look of triumphant. I have to admit, it must hurt to see your boyfriend kiss someone else right in front of you and then try to apologize in the worst time possible. I knew Rye was cuckoo for Cranston, anyone could figure that out in a heartbeat. I asked myself on interview night if Cranston felt the same way. My question answered itself without having me posing it out to anyone. My answer was yesterday before we left. Rye and Cranston were kissing before Jerald's announcement, both boys in the situation looking quite perturbed that their lip lock was broken by mechanical interference.

"I know this may sound weird, but this is about you and Rye. What do your parents do for a living in District 8? Mine aren't really special. My mother is a teacher, my father; like most men in District 12 work the mines we have. How about yours?" I asked.

Cranston seemed to be reclusive towards his reply, as if it was case sensitive information. "I don't have a mother anymore... she left my family after I was born. My father has a girlfriend, but I only know the real reason why she's even staying with him. Money and power is something my father has, something his girlfriend doesn't have. Best way to fix that situation is to date him."

"What type of job could your father have that could give off money and power?" I posed, unsure of what Cranston's father had to make someone only stay with someone for attributes.

"I'm the mayor's kid," Cranston mumbled, messing with his uniform. "My father, Herschel Ervack is the mayor of District 8. He's been holding the position for nearly fifteen years. My mother left him when he announced he was running for it, so he could have a glimpse of a little more luxurious life. He makes a quite decent salary, and does get invited to the Capitol for certain occasions. With that power comes responsibility as the unspoken rule normally states about authority, and my father is pretty lacking in that category."

"You are the son of the mayor of the district you live in," I asked, echoing his statement with slight disbelief. "It's hard to believe that you are the mayor's son and got sent to the Capitol to participate in a game to the death. Shouldn't children of the people in power be like holy ground, sanctified and untouchable?"

"Same thing I thought when I arrived here," Cranston admitted. "But, my father got drunk one night about a month prior to the beginning of these games at a Capitol party and dumped alcohol all over Ammadeus's new suit. Punishment couldn't be given because my father is a political figure even though he's not a Capitol figure. Ammadeus found the perfect punishment by sending me here."

"I bet your father is proud of you, for what you've done." I commented, standing up.

Cranston sighed. "Yeah, my father must be proud of a killer. I am one you know. We can say that we aren't, but deep down inside we are and always will be. It's human nature."

I opened my mouth to speak when a cannon disrupted our conversation, which was then followed by a high feminine scream that caused me to cover my ears. Cranston leaped up from his perch on the ground, the color leaving his face; his body becoming awake. He slung his quiver over his shoulder, and grasped his bow in his left right hand. He ran past me, and past Jake in a blur. Then it hit me why he was in a hurry to run towards that scream.

That scream belonged to Velvet.

Cranston Ervack: District 8 Male P.O.V

Jake is telling me to stop running, but I refuse. That was Velvet I heard screaming. I am not stopping. No way am I having Velvet die if I'm still alive in this arena. As she is my district partner, she is my responsibility. Being an Ervack; and having to face my father's own reputation, I'm not letting my responsibility to protect Velvet fail.

Following the screaming and shouting as well as some conspicuous howling that sounded like wolves that rang out through the sky of the arena, I quickly found myself in another small clearing, with four ladies being attacked by some white creatures. Wolves... their coats white as snow were attacking the four ladies of the Career pack, Opal, Diamond, Velvet, and Violet. Flint was on the ground, a vicious tear in his neck; blood gushing out from the wound. His eyes were glassy, the carcass of a dead timber wolf lying near his body. He must've been the cannon. It's a shame that another strong tribute has died.

The rest of my alliance came running in after me, and they all paused in stunned shock to see the Careers under such disarray. Jake breaks out from his stunned look and unsheathes his sword. "They might be our enemies in this arena, but right now they are humans like no other. We will help them, since Flint couldn't be much of a help. Lone Hunters, attack!"

I loaded an arrow into my bow, and dived towards Velvet, who was dodging a wolf trying to carve it's name with it's claws into her back. I fired my arrow between the mammal's eyes, a rippling howl shattering the strenuous tense filled encampment. "Your welcome!" I shouted at Velvet who blinked at me in uncanny surprise.

"Cranston, look out!" Nydia's urging voice shouted out. I spun around to see a wolf launch at me from an above rock position, the mutation's claws outstretched. Velvet flew herself in front of me and a flash of silver crossed my eyes. The wolf was dead at my feet, Velvet's knife glistening with slick and fresh blood. Another two wolves got the smart idea to jump Violet, and the girl from 11 now had two wolves biting her to shreds. Her first arrow missed the wolf she was aiming, and was unable to recover to shoot down the second. Ryder and Rye both dispatched the hellish creatures and tried to see if Violet was still alive when a second ringing cannon sky-rocketed the arena, meaning Violet also now passed.

Diamond and Opal seemed to have made a bolt for it, leaving it to us to clean up the mess. I still had this strange feeling we weren't left alone.

"Cranston!" Rye screamed at me, pointing his hand holding a blood slicked knife.

I turned back to see one more wolf make a daring attempt to charge. This one was by far larger than the others, possibly being a pack leader or something. Except, the wolf wasn't charging at me. It was leaping for Velvet. I felt a cry escape my lips and I lunged forward, hoping to push her out of the way. The wolf was faster than me, and got it's claws hooked into Velvet's chest. She cried out, and pushed the ferocious beast off of her, the wolf's claws retracting from her skin; now a putrid crimson.

Jake sent his sword into the beast's neck while I watched helplessly as my girlfriend sank to her knees then flopped onto her back.

"Velvet!" I cried, racing to her side. Velvet groaned on the ground, and loosely grasped my hand. She had ten small puncture wounds on her chest, each oozing the river of life from her body. From the looks of this injury, there'd be no way she'll be surviving.

"Cranston, are you there?" my district partner croaked, looking at me with a bleak and weary face. Tears streamed down my face.

"I'm here baby. I'm here for you," I sobbed, holding her hand tight. "I'll never let go."

"Those wolves came from nowhere," Velvet said breathlessly, her skin starting to bead out with sweat. "Flint tried defending himself with the shield and he managed to get a bite in the neck. He wouldn't have survived that anyway... you didn't need to come... it wouldn't have mattered."

"Don't say that," I whispered, rubbing my fingers over hand. "Don't you ever say that."

"Cranston, you didn't fail me," Velvet piped out, coughing. "Never, for a moment think you failed me because I'm dying. We all die eventually, mine just happened to be speeded up."

"No... I did fail you. You can't die from this..." I mumbled to her, now getting sick with sadness.

Velvet looked at me hard, her grip tightening. "You better go and win this thing for me, you hear me Cranston. I am not going to die and then have you get killed by grief. You return home and prove to your father that the name of Ervack can be righted by hard work and dedication. Win this thing for me, if you can't get yourself to win for anyone else."

"I'll win. I'll win for you." I said firmly, clutching her hand tighter than before.

Velvet smiled, her mouth looking like the inside of a volcano from all of the blood that was leaving her body. Her hand went rigid in mine, death now taking her. The last thing I remembered before I blacked out into deep darkness and sadness was a cannon, followed by a whisper in the air that signified the deaths of this wolf attack.

"Flint Terio, District 2 Male. Killed by Gamemaker Involvement. Place: 13th. Velvet Reque, District 8 Female. Killed by Gamemaker Involvement. Place: 11th. Violet Knie, District 11 Female. Killed by Gamemaker Involvement. Place: 12th."

Soon there'll be Cranston Ervack, District 8 Male.

Place will be 10th.

Cause of death?

Suicide.

Tribute List (Boy then Girl)

District 1: Opal Swener (Opal Swen-ir)

District 2: Diamond Zrae (Diamond Z-ray)

District 3: Ryder Cole (Rider Cole)

District 6: Ford Messing (Ford Mess-ing)

District 8: Cranston Ervack (Crans-ton Err-vack)

District 9: Rye Henderson (Self Explanatory) - Eve Gladius (Eve Glad-e-us)

District 10: Jake Quipp (Self Explanatory)

District 12: Mako Narcis (Make-o Nar-cis) - Nydia Jones (Nid-ia Jones)

That was chapter twenty one, Remember the Wolf. Only seven more chapters, five more chapters till I have a victor. We have ten tributes remaining, so who do you think it could be? What is Ryder's hidden plan that none of you know since I haven't revealed what it is exactly? Any guesses? Anyone who guesses correctly in the review will get a review back from me on a story or something, so guess correctly!

Flint Terio: Man, I really loved this character. He was Mr. Career himself, the definite example of District 2 Male's everywhere. I mean, Cato needed some form of inspiration right? He did not have as many P.O.V.'s as Opal, but I still found him to be the main career because of how worried everyone seemed to be about him. He scored a twelve with an acrobatic sword routine that made Jerald blush all the way back in chapter eight of this story. He wanted to be the ultimate evil in this arena, and try to surpass Jake and Mako in terms of villainy and brute strength. He unfortunately fell short of this goal, dying to something that was not man-made, in a sense. However, he does have some important ancestors, so I shall make sure to let the name of Terio have a legacy like no other. I'll miss writing this character for the next chapters.

Velvet Reque: I'll admit it, I was never too thrilled about Velvet. When she was introduced in chapter two with Cranston, I wanted to make sure that these two characters were... well off by how they ate and casually conversed. She definitely pushed my boundaries with damsel in distress towards Cranston's mistake by kissing Rye in chapter eleven, but I wanted to make sure I rounded her character back around and made her strong. No crying will happen on Miss Reque's face if she gave her ex-boyfriend his rightful death. I still have no idea why I gave her that score of seven back in chapter nine because I deemed her to be Bloodbath fodder. She only died because Eve wants to kill Cranston as well, and obviously two people with the same exact plotline doesn't exactly work out in my or your favor. Eve gained the upper hand, and I said goodbye to Velvet, the courageous female from eight.

Violet Knie: My favorite of the three that depart today. She was misguiding you guys by how sincere she seemed in chapter four, when Culliver asked her about her knot tying skills. I made sure to bring it around that she detested Culliver, and would be glad to see him die. Her character was interesting to make because of one line in chapter nine, that if it is possible to have a tribute not score at all when she found out that Culliver was probably going to have a higher training score than her. Come to the Cornucopia, I needed this cold person who didn't care about anyone till I allowed Eve to really come into play, and I found my perfect test subject should I call it that. Her personality was snarky, and I loved her all around. I'll absolutely miss writing her, but I'll never forget the color duo of the V's. Infamous in their own right.

Down to the wire folks, we are approaching fast. I plan, but don't take my word on it, to have a chapter a day, until Thursday. I'll post one tomorrow, and that chapter will be my favorite and least favorite at the same time due to the death and twist I have in it. Then I'll post chapter twenty-three on Wednesday; hopefully, and chapter twenty-four on Thursday. I'll be back to write the last two arena chapters on Sunday-Wednesday of next week, if my mind lets me. Then the last two chapters after that, my victor conclusions will be the most challenging and will be a week after that.

So, please review guys for I love your feedback. If you want to praise me, go right ahead, but I'd like to see criticism sandwiched in there somewhere. Also, I changed the poll on my profile to which tribute you think will become victor. Now, I know there are only ten tributes left at this stage in the story, but there are all 24 tributes on there for selection to avoid spoilers, in case someone votes earlier than the beginning of the games. That's all for now! I'll see you guys back again tomorrow, hopefully though. Don't take my word on that though, simply because my mind might need a break every so often. Alright, I love you all and I hope to see you again!

~Paradigm