In the End, You Always Kneel

by The Freelancer Collaboration

The story of the twenty-fourth Avenger Games and its tributes. A collaborative work of twenty-four writers, each taking on a separate tribute, who will compete in a battle to the death until one rises from the ashes as Victor. Heroes and villains will rise and fall, but the odds can't be in everyone's favour...

25. Chapter 24: Member of the Pack

(A/N) Hey guys, we're back with an new update, and I'm going to keep this short and sweet because it's a long one, and it's pretty late on my end. Fantastic new chapter, written by JGrayzz, as we return to Elektra, and I hope you enjoy it!

Created to Write: Cheers for the heads up on the Rodgers/Rogers situation, have fixed it now. Problem with being a Liverpool fan, you see the other version too often and it gets stuck in your head. Also, Steve is coming soon! Very soon!

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Chapter Twenty-Four – Member of the Pack

Evening Day Three

Elektra Natchios of District One

Written by JGrayzz

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"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."

– Bruce Lee

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Thunder rumbled through the darkness of the training centre like an unseen beast. With every roar it brought, the walls seemed to vibrate harder and harder – the weapons shaking in their racks, threatening to come loose and tumble to the matted floor.

With the ring of the bell, the final day of training had at last come to an abrupt close – it was shorter than Elektra had initially expected. The previous two training days had lasted nearly twelve hours long; at least six hours of attendance at training was required, and if anyone hadn't put in the hours, tributes were forced to stay the entire time.

Most of the Careers had stayed the full twelve hours, however, testament to the amount of dedication some of these kids possessed. In a way, Elektra admired them for that. Nothing pissed her off more than people who didn't try, and Elektra found this mindset was commonplace in the Career pack.

Elektra didn't even realize she was supposed to be a Career until late in the first day of training. The large, shy boy from Four approached her out of nowhere and simply told her, rather awkwardly, "that they would be working together."

And then, just like that, the boy walked away with his hand behind his neck – slightly slouched over as if he was carrying a heavy load on his back.

She didn't quite know what to make of it, and for the next few hours afterward, tried to appear inconspicuous as she spied on the boy. In the end, Elektra caught whispers from some other tributes about a traditional alliance that formed every year called the Careers. Apparently, Elektra needed to be in the alliance whether she liked it or not, according to Johnny Storm.

Elektra didn't like it, as she had planned to fly solo from the beginning and keep her ear to the ground. Now her plans had unfortunately changed.

Being in the Careers certainly had its perks, as Elektra had discovered. People began to give her looks that she never got before – looks of fear, distrust, and outright paranoia, like everyone was walking on eggshells as soon as she came near. It was strange, though oddly flattering. The downside was that being a member of the infamous alliance got her attention in all the wrong places just as much.

Take the two perverted janitors standing near the exit, for example.

"See that girl over there? Kid is good, real good – she's got potential, I'm tellin' you." The short man with the greasy hair looked up and down at her like a piece of prized meat, and he didn't bother hiding it. The mop in his hands swivelled across the floor in a pattern that made no sense – he'd gone over the same spot for ten minutes now. "Mhm, she's nice. I think she just might make it into the final eight if she's lucky. Thinkin' about using some of my paycheck to sponsor 'er a thing or two..."

"Sure, sure. Nice body on her too, eh?"

"Oh yeah, she's got a body on her, definitely. See the size of her arms, though? Chick is built like an athlete." He nudged his friend and chuckled, keys on his waist jingling loudly with each chortle as their eyes lingered on her back.

Elektra snorted, paying neither of them any mind as she put away her favoured sai knives on the rack for the final time in her miserly stay at the Capitol. Her fingers lingered on the rubber handles for a bit before letting them slowly slide away.

It admittedly hurt her to part with them so soon. It only felt like yesterday that Elektra first spotted the wicked daggers hanging solemnly in between an assortment of other elusive, exotic weapons. In a matter of only three days, Elektra had easily managed to perfect her form to the point where she could now twirl her knives between her fingers with ease – the daggers practically becoming fingers themselves.

Most of the tributes had left the Centre by now, though a few still lingered, looming around the food court and the bathrooms. Elektra considered heading to the bathroom to wait out the obnoxious janitors giving her looks, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Who were they anyway? She'd never see them again, and they didn't even know her name. They were nobodies, but her? She was the star of this show, and that demanded respect.

Elektra grabbed a folded towel from off a table and headed toward the exit, beads of sweat pouring down her face from training. She made sure to focus on several areas this evening, but unfortunately it was cut short. She had originally planned to work on survival skills for the other half of the day – her plant recognition skills were getting better, yesterday she managed to identify most of the poisonous species, and she had the strangest feeling it would become important later on. Wade had given her a brilliant idea regarding using poisons in combat, and for the first time, he actually didn't sound like an insufferable dolt.

Elektra recognized Clint sitting at one of the far tables as she passed by; the boy recognized her immediately, giving her a nod in the darkness.

As Elektra neared the exit, the janitors stopped talking and stepped away. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the janitor's glares looming below her back.

This annoyed her.

Before she exited, she kicked the mop bucket sitting near the door with her right foot, sending all of its soapy contents to the floor. "Oops," she muttered as she walked through the double doors.

She could hear their muffled curses from inside the Centre and this almost satisfied her. She eagerly wanted to do much more incredibly violent things to the poor bastards, but she knew if she did, it would draw too much attention to her – much more than she needed at the moment.

Elektra sighed and slammed her throbbing back against the white wall of the Training Centre; she felt like she was about ready to collapse at any minute now. Training killed her, she had to admit. When she first walked through those doors, she almost laughed. They called that training?

But then after the first couple hours of getting acclimated with all the stations and equipment, it became overwhelming for her, and eventually, all she really wanted to do was leave.

Elektra brushed back the dark, damp veil of her hair past her ears, and placed her palm over her forehead. She frowned.

A migraine was coming on, she could feel it now. She felt the early signs since this morning, a muted throbbing that wouldn't go away. It made her grumpy the entire evening, and every time she leaned over, her head felt like it was going to explode.

She thought it might have been hunger, but she ate enough – too much in fact. She had already gained about fifteen pounds since her time in the cell. She couldn't help it, though. The food was good. She regularly went up for seconds – sometimes thirds. The Careers gave her funny looks, but she didn't care. She hadn't eaten warm food in forever.

Thor seemed to understand her plight, though. Back at lunch, it seemed every time she looked up from her plate, the boy was always back at the counter, his plate piled high with meats she hadn't ever even heard of, like venison and even bear. She believed he was on some sort of secret diet plan, but he insisted that that was just how he ate.

Elektra didn't argue.

Elektra sighed and closed her eyes, listening to the silence within the long white hallway. She didn't want to admit this to Johnny, or Wilson, or even Wade for that matter – but the stress of the situation was getting to her head. This place made her sick – literally. Every morning, the reality of where she was seemed to smack her in the face, hard. She didn't expect being here to be so...eerie. But she couldn't fight off the strange feeling that ninety-five percent of everyone who has ever walked through these halls has died. It made her sick to her stomach. This morning, she hadn't even eaten breakfast.

Were the other Careers feeling the same way? Wade seemed to be adjusting fine, which quite honestly annoyed her.

Elektra pushed herself off the wall as she began the gruelling process of drying herself off with the towel – which was already mostly damp from the sweat earlier. She started with her arms, and then slowly made her way down.

Elektra paused in movement at the sound of one of the doors squeaking open. A burst of cool air escaped from the door before it closed, sending a strand of hair into her eyes. She blew it back, irritated.

"Oh! Uh, hey! You probably don't know me...Actually, do you know me?"

Elektra peeked up from patting down her right leg – a slender boy with brown hair and a sheepish grin stared back down at her, hands shoved in his pockets.

Elektra thought about it, but couldn't remember off the top of her head. "Sorry, I don't," she said, and returned to drying off.

The boy's smile remained, however, though a bit flustered, now. "Oh...Well, that's cool I guess," the boy coughed into his hand, "I'm Peter! Peter Parker. It's so cool to finally meet one of you guys...Er...Girls...Wait, I mean... Ugh."

Peter sighed, another sheepish grin on his youthful face. Elektra glared up at the boy again, trying to figure him out – but it was very hard to place him. He was almost too...innocent? Normal?

Peter noticed Elektra studying him and smiled down at her again. "Hi." He stuck his hand out for a shake.

Elektra's dark eyes scanned him up and down. She didn't intend to leave him hanging, but that wasn't her main priority at the moment. Elektra may have seen the boy once or twice at the plants station, and she kind of remembered an awkward exchange of glances taking place – but it was nothing that stuck out to her.

Elektra smirked a little, "You're an interesting kid, Peter," was all she managed to say, before returning to patting her face and limbs with the towel.

Peter lowered his hand and shoved it in his pocket again, still smiling however, "Well, anyway, just wanted to tell you that I saw what you did in there...with the janitors...and the bucket. That was pretty funny, I gotta admit."

At this point, Elektra had slightly grown annoyed with Peter. She half expected him to leave by now, as everybody else did – but knowing his personality, Elektra had a feeling he was going to stick around. He wanted something – people always wanted something. The question was, what?

Elektra continued drying herself off, though the sweat had actually dried by now. Elektra's eyes flickered to Peter for a second, and apparently he took it wrong.

"No, no! I'm not trying to offend you or anything...I actually woulda done the same thing! Like...if I were a girl and there were some creepy guys staring...you know what I'm saying?" He rubbed the back of his neck, nervously.

"Just wanted to say that I really admire you. Like...I think you're a pretty cool chick. Seriously, you're like the first person out of the Careers who actually bothered to talk to me," Peter laughed to himself, but it died down quickly when Elektra didn't laugh back.

Peter placed his hand on his chin, "Well...actually that's not totally true. There was this one guy with a mask that was pretty cool...Oh, and that girl with the red hair – she wasn't really that bad..."

Elektra noticed a red mark on her left forearm – must have gotten it from training. Wade insisted...no, begged to try out the snares station, which was a bit strange considering on the first day he said trapping looked boring and stupid. Long story short, Wade accidentally set off a trap the instructor made, which caught on her arm. She didn't talk to him for the rest of the night.

"I mean, you guys are a pretty serious bunch, you know? But I completely understand..."

Elektra found it easier and easier to tune the boy out as she finished cleaning herself up. Eventually, she barely even noticed he was there.

At one point, a short, dark-haired boy with a scowl on his face burst out of the Training Centre, and of course, Peter felt the need to talk to him as well. Peter was in the middle of asking Elektra if she got food poisoning like he did after eating the pizza.

Peter then asked the angry looking boy, "Hey, dude? Was it just me or did that pizza have a weird after-taste because-"

"Piss off," the boy muttered, quickly storming away into the elevator without saying another word.

Peter seemed to ignore Elektra's mute responses, which she found rather amusing, though she tried not to smirk. Peter seemed to be content with carrying on the completely one-sided conversation, and despite Elektra's refusal to answer the poor boy, she did learn quite a bit more than necessary about Peter Parker.

Eventually, however, Elektra snapped out of her daze when Peter asked her a particular question she was not expecting.

"...So, that leads me to this. How does one exactly...join your group? I mean...like getting in the Careers...Is there like some sort of weird ritual you gotta do? Blood sacrifice? Sell your soul? I'm kinda curious..."

Elektra had finished drying off nearly twenty minutes ago. She had had enough of Peter Parker for one day. And so, annoyed and frustrated, she decided to answer his question in the most completely random way possible.

Elektra looked at Peter for the first time since he first walked out. "...Chimichangas."

He jumped back, perplexed and amazed she had actually responded. For Peter, though, it seemed to be enough. "Wow...Okay! Yeah...that helps!"

Elektra rolled her eyes, and handed a confused Peter Parker her damp towel, "Take that for me? Thanks a bunch."

Peter held the towel tight in his hands like it was some sort of ancient relic. He followed Elektra all the way to the elevator, "Hey, I really appreciate you giving me a chance, ya know? Your blonde friend was awfully mean...What was her name again? Helga? Hilga? Some weird Viking name..."

The elevator dinged, and Elektra had never been more grateful for the contraption in her entire life. Elektra turned around, and awkwardly patted Peter on the back, interrupting his speech of gratitude. "Nice meeting you, Peter."

Peter frowned. "Oh, you're leaving? I mean...Oh! You're leaving! Right...I better let you get to that..."

Elektra tapped her leg impatiently, "It's pretty late..."

He nodded. "Right, I know...I know. You Careers gotta get your rest and all that...Oh hey, what's your name, by the way?"

Elektra rolled her tongue in her mouth, her mind unfocused and her thoughts hazy. "Um...Elektra."

Peter looked confused at first, and had to say the name under his breath first. "Oh! Like electricity. Right, gotcha. That'll be pretty easy to remember."

Elektra half-smiled at that. "...Right." She swivelled on her feet and headed inside the elevator, quickly searching for the button labelled "1".

Before the doors could close, Peter stopped them with his foot. Elektra frowned. "Sorry, sorry! One last thing, though...Uh, so what exactly is a chimichanga?"

Elektra sighed. "Ask Wade. He should know." She made an effort to smile.

Peter grinned and saluted her, allowing the doors to shut, and once they did, her fake smile quickly morphed into a tired frown. Her eyes had become devoid of any feeling besides weariness, and felt like they were about to shut at any moment. Her entire body – from head to toe, ached beyond belief. Only one singular thought coursed through her mind at that moment, and it involved a pillow, a cushion, and absolute darkness.

Elektra waited impatiently as the generic 'happy' music played through the speaker. She felt like taking her fist and sending it through the ceiling. If she wasn't as tired, she probably would have done it.

As soon as the doors opened, cool air met her face which she was beyond thankful for. The corridor to her compartment was long, narrow, and lined with tacky Capitol propaganda posters. Many of them showcased victors from years ago, such as the famous 'Fantastic Four' standing proudly with dozens of smiling Capitol officials.

One poster was colourful and depicted President Thanos standing tall and proud with his hands clasped behind his back, staring into the mountainous horizon while S.W.O.R.D. jets flew over him in some triangular formation. The text on the top was bold and chillingly read: 'LONG LIVE THE ALL-FATHER.'

Another one she passed was mostly red with strange creatures depicted in the foreground; this time, it showed Nick Fury pointing his finger at her. This text read: 'ENTER THE ARENA. DESTINY AWAITS YOU.'

It seemed the more she walked, the creepier the posters became. One of the ceiling lights flickered a bit, which made the entire ambiance of the hallway all the more chilling.

Once again, she was reminded of all the children who may have walked this hallway years prior, and how surreal it was now that it was her turn. She shuddered instinctively, and kept her eyes on the door at the end of the brick hallway, eager to get inside.

At long last, Elektra shoved through the entryway with a click. The marble District One chamber teemed with life. Several of her stylists, including Doop – a green skinned, foreign-speaking humanoid with no ascertainable gender – were eating in the dining room, waving as she passed.

Elektra ignored them, and caught one of their whispers, "Is Leksie pissed again?"

Elektra hated their little nickname for her, but she couldn't do anything about it. The last time she clocked a stylist, Johnny threatened to have Sentinels escort her everywhere for being a dangerous hazard.

Elektra spotted Wade and Wilson Fisk watching television. She believed they were watching recaps of the Reapings – that's all they seemed to broadcast here in the Capitol. Either that, or strange reality shows and a twenty-four hour newscast where the only topic of discussion seemed to be the Games, as well as rumours about the Games, and speculations on...the Games.

Somehow, Wade managed to spot her walking in. The mask was pulled up just enough so he could shove food in his mouth, but even from what little she could see of his skin, the boy looked utterly grotesque.

"Yo, 'Lektra! You hungry?" the boy asked, food spittle flying out of his mouth.

"No," she muttered furtively, peeling off her damp sweater and casting it to the ground.

Fisk was plopped down next to Wade on a black-leather couch, chowing down on some exotic cuisine that reeked even from all the way where she stood.

"You haven't eaten a single thing all day, Elektra. And you look sickly as well, what's the matter?" Fisk asked through a mouthful.

Elektra snorted, "What do you mean? I ate something at lunch." Elektra faltered on the last part. In truth, she really hadn't eaten anything.

Fisk paused, fork halfway into his mouth. "And what was it?"

For some unfathomable reason, she honestly couldn't think of anything, but then she remembered Peter saying something about pizza earlier. "I ate...pizza," she shrugged.

Wilson Fisk chuckled. "'Pizza', she says." The large man set his plate on the table – which was occupied by what looked like hundreds of empty plates already.

Fisk beckoned with his hand. "Please, Elektra, eat something. I insist. I'll worry if you don't."

Wade burped, arms dangling lazily behind his masked head. "Trust me, you can't pass these burritos up...They are freakin' heaven," he sang.

Elektra scowled. "Listen, I'm exhausted, alright? I have a migraine, and I'm aching all over...I just want to sleep right now. I'll eat tomorrow." She brushed her hair back and threw her shoes off, padding away to her chamber.

Wade shrugged. "Suit yourself then, sweetheart. More burritos for yours truly."

Elektra's head felt like it was on the verge of eruption. She needed peace...she needed quiet. She needed darkness. She couldn't take it anymore.

She almost got her wish, but then Johnny appeared right in front of her. She didn't even know where he came from. Elektra tried to brush past him, but the man moved with her. "Where are you going?"

Elektra glared at him. What is he, a child? Does he really want to get killed right now?

"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep," she said in her nicest voice possible, her black eyes fixed and unflinching. "Johnny, please move out of my way."

Johnny measured her with his affronting cyan eyes, scowling at the younger girl. "Where's your hat?"

Elektra ground her teeth together so hard they almost cracked. "Johnny..."

Johnny grinned now – he got off on annoying her. She knew he did. But he also knew she hated him, and that was never going to change.

"Actually, Elektra, you won't be going to sleep right now. First thing you're going to do, is take a shower and put on some fresh clothes, because you – pardon my French - smell like shit, love."

She stared daggers at the man. "And I suppose you're going to help me with that, right?"

"And then," Johnny began, ignoring her. "Once you've finished with that, you and Wade are going to take the elevator up to the roof – where you'll be meeting with your allies. This isn't a question."

"I don't give a damn about my 'allies' right now," Elektra growled, eyes narrowing, nostrils flaring.

This seemed to be the tipping point for Johnny,."But you should! Because, believe it or not, those allies are going to save your rotten ass!"

Elektra lurched forward, inches from Johnny's face, her instincts urging her to beat the living hell out of Johnny Storm until he was a bloody, incoherent mess on the floor, begging for mercy. Elektra's smile was almost twisted, hatred so palpable you could have seen the red haze with your own eyes.

"Make me." Elektra clenched her fists so tight, deep cuts began to form. "Go ahead, Johnny Storm. I dare you...Make me go and see what happens."

It was difficult for Johnny to hold back – as he had never faced such a level of resentment from any tribute in his entire life. Every time he had coached the girls in the past, it always seemed to work out. This is the first instance he'd been hated from the get-go. His ego found that difficult to comprehend.

Something would have happened if it had gone on any longer, but fortunately, the genius of a Mr Reed Richards intervened, pulling them apart before an inevitable bloodbath began.

"Alright, alright. I've seen and heard enough. Let's calm down, you two." Reed gently steered Johnny away from Elektra with a hand on his chest, glancing at both of them with exhausted deep brown eyes. Both of them were bloodshot beyond belief, his breath reeked of coffee and grey uneven hairs lie scattered underneath his chin.

"...Elektra," Reed called, coughing weakly.

Reed whispered something to Johnny – most likely to try to calm the man down. Elektra almost sneered at him, Johnny looked like he was about to cry. She couldn't remember the last time she made anyone cry, but she thoroughly enjoyed the show. It meant a win in her book, at least.

"Elektra!" Reed yelled, which seemed to take most of what little energy he had left pumping inside of the reserved man. Elektra jumped from her stupor, her haze gone, her mind clear once again. Reed had never yelled before; in fact, the man barely said anything at dinner, and he was stuck in his room all morning through the afternoon – his only breakfast came in the form of a whole pitcher of black coffee at about five o'clock in the morning. It's the only time she ever sees him.

"What?" Elektra inclined her head to meet Reed's drowsy eyes, which practically mirrored her own. She had to admit, he looked terrible. He didn't need any of this right now, and even she knew that.

Reed regained his composure, pressing his hands firmly on the back of a chair. "What...seems to be the issue, right now...between you two?" Elektra noticed he had a tendency to nod as he talked, as if to encourage them both to respond.

Johnny looked embarrassed. "Listen, Reed-"

Elektra cut in before Johnny could answer. "-Reed, I'm tired. All I want is to sleep, because I feel horrible right now." Elektra brushed her matted dark hair away from her face. "Reed, Johnny here wants me to attend a meeting with my...alliance on the roof." She gave Johnny a dark look, but he ignored her.

Reed perked up immediately. "And that's exactly what you're going to do," he informed her, crossing his arms. "You know why? Because I'm telling you right now, it's going to send a bad message if you were the only one who didn't show up."

Elektra flared up again, her temper rising to a boiling point that she could feel rushing through her veins, but she wasn't stupid. She bit her tongue and tried to look as calm as absolutely possible, remembering her training, remembering her promise to redeem herself. So she listened as Reed spoke, despite compulsively imagining in her mind rushing over and skinning Johnny alive.

Reed sighed. "Listen, Elektra. I understand you're tired, I can see it in your eyes right this very moment. All I ask is that you do this for me, and for your alliance. You don't even have to talk, if you do not wish. Just...be there. I will let you sleep all morning if that is what you really desire."

Johnny nearly choked, and almost protested, but Reed silenced him with a finger. "Johnny, I can and will make it happen."

It was hard for Elektra to refuse the offer Reed was suggesting, especially with the way he kept nodding to her, like he actually understood her plight. Perhaps he did. He was a victor.

Elektra bit her lip, shifting her weight. "So how long do you think this will take, then?"

For the first time, Reed hesitated, blinking rapidly. "Elektra, believe me, if I knew, I'd tell you. It could take hours, or only a couple of minutes. It all depends on what Thor wants to do."

Reed nervously glanced at Johnny, and then back at Elektra. "Alright? Are you both fine, now? Any other issues you wish to discuss while we're all here?"

Both of them were silent – neither Elektra or Johnny willing to make the first move and walk away, but at least she could say her heat had risen down again.

Reed clapped his hands together. "I'm going to take that as a sign that you both are...sufficiently cooled down. And for Johnny, that's definitely saying something..."

Before anyone could walk away, Wade Wilson butt into the tense conversation with a plate literally piled high to the brim with chicken wings – his mask lifted up just enough from his mouth to reveal thick sauce surrounding his lips like makeup.

Much to Elektra's chagrin, Wade placed his arm around her shoulders, while one hand tried to balance the ridiculously large plate of wings. "Damn, girl, you been workin' out? Back is all hard and rigid..."

Elektra remained stoic, too exhausted to fire back with a sarcastic insult, and her brain too fuzzy to say anything anyway. Johnny looked utterly repulsed with Wade, while Reed looked almost amused.

Wade licked his fingers and studied Reed. "So, where we goin'?"

"The roof. You two will be attending a private Career meet." Reed flicked his wrist up and looked at his watch. "And...I'd say you have about ten minutes to get up there."

Reed hesitated. "Wade? Leave the chicken here...please?"

Wade had a sombre look in his eyes and picked up a chicken wing, bringing it in front of his face. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways, my love. I'll never forget you...NEVER! Do you understand me? I love you," he sobbed, before shoving the entire wing in his mouth.

Elektra padded away to the showers, muttering curse words under her breath. Johnny watched her as she went, but she couldn't care less about the man at this point. He was no more a mentor than he was a distraction. If she could have it her way, she'd rather not be coached it all – that is if she could even remotely call what Johnny Storm does "coaching". All she'd ever seen him do for the past few days is drink champagne in a bathrobe and watch dumb reality television with Wade.

"And Elektra?" Reed called.

Elektra paused in stride, shoulders hunched and rigid. "When you get in the shower, whatever you do, don't press the orange button...Or was it the blue switch? I forget which one..."

For the next several minutes, the sound of shrieks and curses echoed through the marble halls of the District One sanctum, as Elektra faced her greatest foe yet – the shower.

The elevator doors opened, and she was the first to head inside. Elektra rubbed her burning, red eyes, hastily trying to fasten her soaked hair into a ponytail before it got too dry.

Wade chuckled softly as he ran down the hall and into the elevator, turning his head to check behind him once before he quickly shuffled inside, holding his pants up with one hand. "Hurry, hurry! Close the freakin' doors!"

Several angry shouts echoed through the brick hall – and the voices sounded very familiar. The elevator doors shut with a loud "ding", and even though his face was hidden, there seemed to be a profound sense of satisfaction in Wade's voice.

"Holy shit!" Wade leaned against the rail, regaining his breath.

Elektra gave the half-crazed boy a strange look. "What the hell did you do?"

She had to do a double-take when Wade began to reach his hands down his trousers, pulling out a large, obnoxiously loud bag of chips.

Elektra tilted her head and smirked at him, "...Chips? Really? Whoa, did you steal those, Wade?"

Wade tucked the chips under his arm, "Pfft, please." Wade reached down even further and pulled out something else – a very expensive looking bottle of wine. Wade held the intricately designed bottle close to his chest, still with the price tag on it.

Wade ran his hand along the golden surface, "Elektra, I introduce to you...'Le Flambeau'."

Elektra squinted at the tag, "...That cost 7,000 credits!"

Wade turned the bottle around and gasped, "Why, indeed it did, my dear! And I intend to drink every last drop of it," Wade leaned in close to Elektra's face and shook the bottle, "With or without your help."

Elektra clicked the button labelled '13' and they began their ascent to the roof. She peeked again at the golden bottle Wade was ogling over. "That's Johnny's, isn't it?"

"You said it, not me." Wade smiled through his scarlet mask. "I don't know, honestly. Could be Wilson's, could belong to one of the Cappies..."

Elektra raised an eyebrow. "Cappie?"

Wade shrugged, "Yeah, that's what I call the creepy people who live here."

The elevator doors opened and immediately, the night breeze struck her skin in calm waves. At last, it was freedom...or as close as Elektra could get to it.

Elektra peered up, only to find the sky overcast and filled with thick clouds. Unfortunately, life was often too good to be true.

Wade paused next to her, his mouth already filled with chips. "I don' see anybody..."

He was right, the entire garden was dead silent, not a visible soul in sight. Elektra scowled. "We made it on time, didn't we?" Wade shrugged. The sound of crisp leaves in the garden shook like rattles, small whispers in the darkness.

"Hey, wait," Wade gestured to a spot in the shadows near the edge, there appeared to be two people sat in some chairs, waving at them. They both trudged over to confront them, Wade still holding his giant bag of chips and Johnny's stolen wine in each hand. Luckily, it was their allies from Two.

"Come, come," beckoned Clint, with his feet propped up on a table, picking his teeth with some crude tool. Natasha looked giddy when she finally saw them; her scarlet hair was in a braid, and she gave them a small wave as they approached.

Clint looked bored and tired, and his gestures were lazy. "There's some chairs here, if you guys wanna sit or anything..." Elektra nodded and practically collapsed in a chair near the shadows. "Who knows when Thor will lug his big ass over here."

Wade placed the chips and wine on the table with pride, and gestured to Natasha and Clint. Natasha brought a hand up quickly. "No thanks," she smiled.

Clint gave Natasha a look of disdain and shrugged. "Mmm, why the hell not? I'll take some wine – the name's in some old language, right?"

Wade nodded. "Correct-o. It means...erm...Actually I dunno. I failed English, for crying out loud – never really had a head for languages," he admitted.

Clint smirked. "Well, wine is wine, right? Cups...cups...No cups? Whatever," Clint yawned, before taking a swig straight from the bottle.

Elektra leaned back in the slightly uncomfortable plastic chair, listening lucidly to the exchange between Wade and Clint. They appeared to be getting along swell. If it meant Wade getting out of her hair, then she didn't care who the kid bothered. Hell, maybe she could even take a much needed nap up here.

"We're just as surprised as you two," muttered Natasha, rubbing her hands together. Elektra hardly noticed Natasha said anything until she caught the girl staring at her awkwardly.

Elektra half-smiled and nodded, unsure of what Natasha had even said. "Oh, yeah...Well, you know..."

Natasha gave her a funny look, but giggled softly. "So, you're sixteen, right?"

Elektra paused in thought. Was she sixteen? She couldn't even remember. She hadn't celebrated her birthday in years. "I...think so...Yeah, that's about right." Elektra almost shrugged, but stopped herself. Natasha gave her another strange look, but once again, smiled.

Natasha leaned her head on her palm. "You nervous?"

Elektra knew what Natasha was doing. She was trying to get a read on her – trying to measure her up. To see if she belonged there, to see if she could find something to latch onto. A weakness...a fear.

But Elektra was too guarded, even in her half-dead state. "No, not really. Tired? Yeah, but not nervous," Elektra crossed her arms and leaned further back. "What about you?"

Natasha giggled. "Honestly? A little bit...but I guess if you're not nervous, then I shouldn't be either, right?"

Elektra nodded. "Right."

Natasha looked like she was ready to end the conversation, but it was merely a ruse. She shifted, only to spring back and study Elektra, seemingly interested. "So, Elektra, how's your training been going? Clint told me he saw you earlier," Natasha asked, crossing her legs.

Elektra stiffened a little, her dark eyes zig-zagging slowly, searching for an appropriate response. "It's been...pretty good, I suppose. I've been working on plants and that kind of thing. And you?"

Natasha brushed back strands of crimson hair that had fallen. "Oh, a bit of this and that...Knives, sparring...typical stuff. So, you found your weapon of choice yet?" Natasha grinned, interested.

The conversation was getting tense. Natasha was on cue with every answer, never missing a single beat. Elektra lulled, but Natasha knew exactly what she was asking. She knew exactly what to say, and when to say it. Answering questions with answers – that was how Natasha worked. It's as if she'd been planning these questions in her head for days. This concerned Elektra deeply. Natasha's mind wasn't in the game – it was ahead of it.

Elektra gritted her teeth, annoyed with the interrogation. "Knives. Plain and simple," Elektra half-lied.

Luckily for her, Wade was beginning his usual antics – already half-drunk from the wine he consumed. Clint cheered him on, finding his source of entertainment for the evening. "Now do the Thor one!"

Looked like Wade was doing impressions now.

Wade butted out his chest and pretended to brush away invisible golden locks – he also began to walk like he was constipated. "Oi, look at me and ma' giant hammer! Oi, look at me beautiful, flowing hair in the wind, aren't I so pretty?"

Clint clapped, howling with laughter. "Oh! Do that thing he always does at lunch!"

Wade pretended to eat from a plate. "Oi, is that cake I see...?" Wade suddenly froze in terror.

Clint looked on in anticipation. "Wait for it...Wait for it..." he whispered.

Wade jumped up on top of the table and threw the entire bag of chips in the air. "NAY! I SAY THEE NAY! NAY TO CAKE! DEATH TO CAKE! MUST RESIST CAKE!"

Clint howled as Wade went up to Elektra and Natasha. "OI! WHERE IS ME COW? WHERE IS ME BEAR? WHERE IS ME DELICIOUS MEATS!? MMM, YOU LOOK DELICIOUS! FEED MEH!"

Wade pretended to bite down on their arms, shaking his head to-and-fro like a hungry dog. Natasha giggled, seemingly finding it funny, while Elektra instinctively reared back and rolled her eyes.

Though Elektra had to admit, the impression, while exaggerated, was pretty spot on. Thor never ate sweets. The large boy literally panicked at lunch the one time Wade even threw him a sugar cookie. Thor ate meat, and only meat.

Clint was still choking back tears. "Priceless, dude. Just priceless." Clint wiped his eyes, chuckling.

Wade pushed his mask back up past his mouth. "I think that is deserving of some wine, eh?" Wade paused before taking a swig. "Hey...you guys wanna see my impression of Thor wiping his ass?"

Clint burst into laughter at the thought. "Oh man, I've gotta see this."

Elektra noticed the doors of the elevator opening in the distance, and a tall, willowy figure walking out.

Wade began his impression of Thor once more. "Oi! Me, Thor, Son of Odin, has run out of toilet paper!" Wade put up a finger in the air like he suddenly had a brilliant idea. "But wait! I have me this hammer sitting right here!"

Clint suddenly stopped laughing, clearing his throat as the tall figure loomed behind Wade's back. "Uh, Wade...Dude..."

"OI! WHY DON'T I TAKE THIS HAMMER AND – What? Why is everybody so awkward? Did my pants fall down again? Because if they did, that was part of the impression..."

Wade's head bowed and sighed. "Wait...Thor's actually behind me, isn't he?"

"No, worse," Brunhilde muttered, staring at the scene.

Wade laughed sheepishly, "Whoa! Hey, look who it is! Long time no see! I missed you, did you miss me? 'Cause I really missed you...and your scary...serious face...and big muscles," Wade held his hand out for a shake.

Brunhilde's blue eyes narrowed and she scowled at the boy. "Wade, Son of Wil, I've already shaken your hand this morning, and the morning prior. Do not test me." Brunhilde shouldered past him.

Wade rubbed his shoulder. "Sorry, I won't test you ever again...sheesh."

Brunhilde's confident, burly form paced the roof. "Thor will be arriving shortly – he needed to retrieve something."

Brunhilde's eyes scanned everyone at the meeting several times over, nodding her head slightly at each and every person. Elektra believed this was her way of making sure nobody skipped out. Secretly, Elektra was glad Reed forced her to go. If she hadn't come, Brunhilde probably wouldn't have been pleased.

Elektra rarely saw much of Brunhilde at training, and she stuck behind Thor like an older sister would, keeping close tabs on everyone who dared approach the boy. Elektra could count on her fingers the number of times she and Brunhilde actually spoke to each other. She couldn't make up her mind yet if this was a good or bad thing.

Elektra admired the girl the most out of everyone – she held herself with a certain air of nobility and confidence. Brunhilde was no-nonsense, a natural leader in the flesh. She wasn't sure of Brunhilde's history, though bearing similar appearances and height, it was likely Brunhilde was related to Thor in some regard.

Brunhilde's eyes flickered over to Elektra and Natasha then. Brunhilde nodded at Elektra, but paused a bit at Natasha. The girl smiled at Brunhilde giddily, just as she had with Elektra. Brunhilde didn't seem to be affected, her frown seemingly etched onto her face permanently. Brunhilde's eyes lingered on Natasha far longer than anyone else, and Elektra couldn't help but wonder if there was some strain between them. Perhaps even distrust?

Natasha broke away from Brunhilde's gaze, bringing up her leg in the chair and resting her chin upon her knee, looking awfully somber all of a sudden.

Brunhilde clasped her hands behind her waist, looking on past the edge of the roof, onto the city of glittering lights below.

Wade, however, was persistent on getting the girl to notice him. "Heyyyy, Brunie', my main lady. Can I call you Brunie'? You hungry? You want some chips? How about some very expensive wine...that's French...that I did not steal by the way. Did I mention it was French?"

Wade popped over her other shoulder. "Or how about a nice, crispy chicken wing? It's in my – Actually, I think it's better you don't know where it is right now, but I have it with me...That is if you want it though. I mean...I can always just brush the gunk off -"

Brunhilde brought up her hand. "-Wade, please. Haven't you had your fill by now?" she interrupted, looking repulsed.

Wade shrunk back. "Oh Gods no...I still have plenty of room in the trunk. Food kinda disperses through my body, you see, and...well, you know, it's a bit of a touchy subject for me. Honestly it's been awhile since I've kept track of my bowel movements..."

"How delightful, scarface made it to the party in one piece!" A voice Elektra didn't recognize rang in the distance.

"Hey, Thor's here. Bout' time," Clint muttered.

"Oh, good." For the first time in the entire evening, Brunhilde smiled. Brunhilde walked away from Wade, leaving the poor boy in the dust.

A slender, dark-haired boy walked confidently ahead of the massive but slouched form of Thor. Elektra wasn't sure who the boy was or why he was here, but he had quite the mouth on him. Actually, Elektra had seen the arrogant boy before, slinging insults with various tributes throughout the training days. She had never seen Thor talking with him prior, though she wasn't really paying attention either.

Thor looked relieved to see Brunhilde, and was the first person his eyes fell on before they embraced each other. "Good to see you again, Brunhilde."

Brunhilde grinned and embraced the dark-haired boy as well. "Aye, I'm glad you two could make it."

The dark-haired boy hugged himself several times. "Quite chilly up here, don't you think?" His tone exuded great indifference and dissatisfaction, with an unmistakable accent that was nearly identical to the ones in the Capitol.

Everything that came out of the boy's mouth was either an insult or a complaint. Thor seemed to tolerate it just fine, as well as Brunhilde – as if they were used to dealing with it. Elektra deduced they shared a history of some sort.

Thor looked sheepish and uncomfortable as he stood in the centre, addressing only Brunhilde's direction. "Sorry...It was the only place I could think of at the time."

The slender boy scowled, looking over everyone with great disdain. "No matter, I'll just have to keep moving about I suppose – which will honestly get quite annoying."

Wade, always the charmer, is the first to introduce himself to the newcomer, stumbling over with the bottle of wine in his hands. "I'm Wade, and you must be...?"

The boy looked even more repulsed than Brunhilde had. "Loki. You're drunk, boy. Go sit down before you hurt yourself...or the wine," he sneered, dismissing Wade with a wave.

Elektra couldn't help but notice how excited Natasha had become the second Thor arrived – as if she wanted to be noticed. For some odd reason, she wouldn't budge from the seat, though a bright, anxious smile was plastered on to her face, as if she had something she wanted to prove.

Loki began the hasty process of introducing himself, despite how obviously annoyed he was that he needed to even do so.

Quickly enough, Loki arrived at Elektra's table, first greeting Natasha, seemingly already having seen her in the past. Loki leaned over the table to shake Elektra's hand, with a wry smirk. "Elektrik, I presume? Thor's told me about you," Loki's handshake was cold and firm, his eyes piercing and unreadable.

Elektra grit her teeth. "It's Elektra, actually."

Loki didn't appear to react, but eventually shrugged and smiled wryly for only a second before it disappeared. "Hm. My mistake, then."

As soon as Loki wandered off, Elektra's gaze fell back on Thor and Brunhilde, who were engaged in a conversation far from everyone else. She again picked up on Thor's discomfort as he nervously shifted from side-to-side, his face set in a pensive frown, nodding compulsively as Brunhilde talked in his ear. Brunhilde came off as more of a leader than Thor, oddly enough. The boy didn't even look comfortable in his own skin.

Finally, after some time, Brunhilde and Thor relocated to the seating area, Loki in tow. Loki sat down regal-like in one of the chairs, rubbing his chin in thought.

Thor took a seat at Clint's table, though Thor struggled to even fit in the chair – he looked like a child. He cleared his throat before he began; Brunhilde sat in the chair nearest to him, nodding encouragingly as Thor spoke. "So...I guess we should get this over with. Don't know about you folk, but I'm pretty tired."

"Aye, as we all are," Brunhilde agreed.

Thor crossed his burly arms and cleared his throat again. "Just to get this out of the way...As you all may know, we have a new member of the Careers. Some of you may have met him earlier – I don't think he needs to introduce himself."

Loki grumbled. "No, definitely not...Look, I don't see the reason why this needs to be a matter of discussion," Loki shifted uncomfortably.

"Loki, we talked about this. It should at least be gone over, just so we all can get on the same page," Brunhilde said, sternly.

Loki still didn't see it, but relented, throwing his hands up in a passive-aggressive manner. "Well, if my being here means so much to the lot of you..."

"Of course it does, Loki." Thor gave the boy a longing look before he continued. "I brought Loki into this group for reasons...I'm not comfortable going into right now." Brunhilde gently kneaded Thor's shoulder, comforting the boy. "All I can say is that Loki is my kin, and...if he's not here, then I am not either."

"Oh, how touching of you, Thor. I feel so loved," Loki quipped under his breath.

It looked difficult for Thor to find the words in his head. "So...if we can just...go through?" Thor looked at Brunhilde for approval; she nodded. "Yes, let's go through and just...if anyone has any issues with Loki, this will be your only chance to speak on the matter."

"I, for one, fully stand behind Thor in this decision, as I think we all should," Brunhilde added.

Natasha was eager to voice her opinion first, shifting in her seat until she sat straight up for everyone to hear. "I completely agree with Thor. If Loki is family, then why shouldn't he be with us? Family should stick together, no matter what." Natasha smiled at Thor. "Thor, I think what you're doing for your brother is...so, so admirable."

Natasha violently nudged Clint's chair with her foot, hard enough that it actually moved an inch.

Clint looked like he just burst out of a deep slumber. "Yeah! Yeah I agree. Uh-huh, definitely. The more the merrier, right?"

Clint wearily looked at Elektra next. Unfortunately, this meant she had to burst from her half-dazed state. Elektra shot Clint a hard look, and he shrugged in response. Elektra sighed as she raised herself up in her seat, her back cracking a little. "Uh, what Natasha said. Family is important so...It just seems right."

Last but not least, was Wade, who was crossing his arms and bouncing his foot impatiently. "You guys kidding? I mean, that's really it? Loki gets to come in 'cause he's family? I'm not buying it...I need a little something else here." Wade took another swig of wine, burping as he propped his feet on the table.

Elektra wanted to roll her eyes at Wade's unnecessary voice of disapproval. Everyone shifted in their seat uncomfortably, and Loki began to mutter under his breath.

Natasha shot Wade a hard look. "What does that mean?"

Loki looked annoyed. "Yes, I'd like to know as well. How about you tell me why you never show your face, boy? And please don't say it's because you're ugly."

"You really wanna see? Well, you shoulda said so!" Wade proceeded to take off his mask, cackling as he revealed his horrid scars that covered the entirety of his head. "Take it all in, ladies! Hey, you asked for it! I'm not responsible for any psychological trauma you sustain from this."

Loki gasped, covering his eyes. "By the Gods, he's hideous!"

Thor winced as he put his arm up. "Alright, put it back on for Gods' sakes, Wade, please. Now listen, I'll explain all this with Loki when the time comes, but as I said...The time just isn't right. Now if we're all done, let's move on."

"Yes, let's do that," Loki added, promptly turning his chair away from Wade.

Thor cleared his throat. "Next, I'd like to discuss my strategy for the...erm...The beginning, at the Tesseract..."

Loki seemed to enjoy Thor's discomfort on the subject. "I think you mean to say 'the bloodbath', do you not?"

Thor sighed. "Yes, well...I...Let's just refer to it as 'the beginning' for now, alright?" Thor animated the layout in the air with his finger. "Basically, my plan is we find each other – group up as soon as possible. The more people that see us in a group, the more we intimidate them. If they're smart, they'll run, simple as that. By default, we should easily be able to take over the Tesseract – gear up, grab our weapons and supplies, and then...we begin our hunt at dusk."

Everyone was silent, for the most part. Natasha nodded, as did Clint. Thor looked at everyone for approval. "Does anyone have any input?"

Brunhilde spoke up first, as usual. "Aye, I think it's the best one yet. It was far better than mine."

Clint, for the first time, looked more awake, hands behind his head, mouth upturned as he mulled over a strategy of his own. "...Not to disagree with Thor here – I actually think it's a decent plan, for the most part. Though I gotta say, I think I could be more help from a distance...Pick off any stragglers. Only reason I say it is because I'm not too good in close-quarters – but give me a bow and I could do some serious work."

Elektra actually agreed with Clint's suggestion. When it came down to it, Elektra didn't really want to hurt anyone. She was aiming for redemption, not a relapse. If Elektra could be of any use, it would be assisting Clint.

Elektra raised her hand, Thor saw it immediately and nodded. "I like what Clint said. I'm pretty fast – I mean, I could easily get to the Tesseract, grab Clint's bow and throw it to him, that way he wouldn't have to risk hurting himself." Elektra glanced at Clint for approval, and he gave her a thumbs-up signal.

Thor seemed to like the idea, nodding briskly to Brunhilde. "We'd really appreciate that, Elektra."

Out of the corner of her eye, Natasha shot Elektra a hard glance – a glance Elektra couldn't read clearly.

Natasha sniffed loudly and raised her hand, her leg shaking fervently. "I can do it as well," she looked at Elektra and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "You know, just in case she doesn't make it."

Huh?

Elektra didn't quite understand what the girl was trying to say, exactly. This pissed Elektra off, to the point where she smirked to herself in disbelief. Elektra didn't even look at the other girl as her tongue rolled around in her cheek. "Oh, I'll make it," she mumbled.

Natasha was quite frankly getting on Elektra's nerves. Her giddiness came across now as fake – the way she smiled at someone until they looked away, assuming the girl was just being nice. But if someone were observant, they could easily notice the long, cold stare Natasha gave them out of the corner of their eye – measuring them up, trying to crack their code.

Elektra saw it as ridiculous, plain and simple. Elektra could only tolerate lies for so long before she snapped – and Natasha was coming real close to setting her off.

"I have a suggestion!" Wade burst out of his seat, unfolding a crinkled piece of paper with old stains all over it, rendering it hardly readable.

Thor looked a little annoyed at Wade, and Loki even groaned, smacking his hand on his face.

"Check this out," Wade held up the crinkled paper, which depicted numerous drawings that Elektra couldn't even comprehend or follow. Wade winced, covering his hand over a part of the page. "Eh, don't look at that part – I just got a little bored there and felt like drawing tits." Elektra sighed – Wade, always being the gentleman.

Wade obnoxiously cleared his throat as he gestured to the main centrepiece, "So this is my idea; I say as soon as we're off our plates, I take off all my clothes, right? And then maybe one of us can find some grass or straw or whatever and fill my clothes with all of it, and we build a dummy...of me. And then, I'll go hide in the bushes while my girl, Brunie, stabs the dummy through the freakin' chest!"

At this point Wade began fully animating his plan.

"Are you all following? So then, if it works out, the Cappies will come down in their UFO and try to pull the dummy up, right? Because they'll think it's me, but in reality, I'm just hiding in the bushes. So then – this is where it gets real good...My home-girls, Lektra and Natasha, will get sucked in the giant ray with the dummy, and then, Clint and Thor, you guys will be shooting freakin' arrows at the UFO providing cover-fire, right? And then, Elektra and Natasha will freakin' take over the entire ship like bad-ass ninjas, hold the captain hostage, threaten him, seduce him, whatever girls do...yada, yada."

Thor gave Brunhilde a strange look, but the girl was busy frowning. Clint, on the other hand, was trying to hide his chuckles. Loki had begun drinking some of the wine.

"So then, my girls up top will get the captain to lower down the UFO, get all of us inside, right? We'll all get in, and if it works out, we'll have our own freakin' UFO to fly around the whole arena! We'll man the laser turrets, hunt down everyone, lock on em'...and BOOM, BITCH! Pretty soon, before we know it, we'll all win the freakin' AVENGER GAMES, BABY! We'll fly out in our UFO to space, and settle our own colony. My home-boy here, Thor, will become dictator and enslave a bunch of alien strippers, and then we'll all live happily ever after. So whaddya all think, eh? It's awesome, right?"

Wade looked at everyone, arms stretched out, smiling under his mask, proud of his genius plan to dominate the arena.

Clint chewed on his fingernails, spitting them out of his mouth. "...That has to be the worst looking tits I have ever seen in my life." Clint gestured at the drawing on the paper.

Loki stormed over and snatched the piece of paper out of Wade's hands. "Give me that, you babbling fool." Loki's eyes scanned over the crumpled paper, a profound scowl overtaking his features the more he read, like his mind was being tainted. He looked over at Thor, and brought the paper up. "This is bloody indecipherable – It...It looks like a bunch of...phalluses...drawn by a five-year old."

Wade scoffed and took the paper back. "What? Lemme' see that," Wade looked it over and smacked his forehead. "Ah shoot...This is the wrong paper! Knew I should have brought that chart..."

Thor looked frustrated. "Wade, please, just sit down. I appreciate your...input, but I'd prefer we aim for...a more down-to-earth approach."

Wade plopped down and shoved the paper down his pants, feeling defeated. "Worth a shot..."

Brunhilde tapped Thor's shoulder. "We should move on."

Thor agreed. "Indeed – so if there aren't any other concerns or...actual suggestions, we stick with my strategy for 'the beginning' – we group up, conquer the Tesseract, and begin our hunt at nightfall, when the other players are at their most vulnerable. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded, except Wade, who looked glum after failing to inspire his allies.

Thor constantly shifted in the uncomfortable seat, his bulging muscles threatening to break free from the plastic constraints. "Next, I feel we should quickly go over the tributes who might potentially be a threat to our group – anybody who looks like they could be a problem." Thor gestured at everyone. "Who would like to start first?"

Wade raised his hand up higher than everyone. "Ooooh! Me! Me!"

Thor sighed and chose to get Wade out of the way first. "Yes! Okay...I've got two...First one is Cletus – that dude straight up lost his marbles, and I think we need to also give him a 'cannibal alert', becaaaauuuuse...I may have made a bet with him about how many people he thinks he could eat whole in a week. For the record, I only said two people. One of em' is his partner, because come on...she's really skinny and is like an appetizer, you know?"

Loki took another swig of wine. "Gods, kill me now," he muttered.

Thor coughed impatiently. "Anyone else, Wade?"

Wade thought for a second, hand on his chin. "...Ah! Bruce. I think that guy has anger issues."

Thor chose Natasha to speak next. "Logan...definitely. He needs an attitude adjustment, and he's also really good with knives." Natasha scowled just thinking about the boy.

Brunhilde was next, sitting straight up in her chair for everyone to hear clearly. "Aye, I concur with Logan and Cletus. Those two are dangerous. Though I also think Carol Danvers is not to be trifled with. We must keep an eye on her. The same goes for T'Challa – he is intimidating."

Thor nodded and then gestured at Elektra. "Elektra, you've been pretty quiet...Got anyone?"

Elektra's eyes widened slightly. She is caught off guard by the sudden question – she hadn't really paid too much attention to anyone while she was training. She was often in her own world, focused on herself instead of moping about any other nonsense. But she had to say something.

Elektra propped her foot up on the table, absentmindedly playing with the sole of her boot. "Um...Steve, he's pretty good. And...then...Benedetta. She's pretty good with knives, like Logan. And...Peter Parker..."

Elektra made a mistake...she knew it the second she opened her mouth. Natasha gave her a curious look, as did Loki. Hardly anyone knew or cared about Parker – if she made him a target, he'd surely get killed if they saw him. She kind of liked Parker, to be honest. He was a good kid...he didn't deserve to be killed because she decided to open her stupid mouth.

Thor thought about the names Elektra suggested for a second. "Hmm? Parker? The short, scrawny kid?" Thor snorted darkly, like he had met Parker before and was remembering something. "Eh, he won't be a problem, trust me."

Elektra didn't let it show, but inside, she was grateful Thor had just said that. Now at least Peter wouldn't be targeted first.

Clint spoke up, looking around to see if anyone had anything else to say. "Uh...well, I agree with Elektra about Steve. I've seen him run the combat simulator, he's pretty good, I guess. Real good with ranged weapons..." Clint struggled with his answer, like he was biting his tongue.

Loki seemed to have a vested interest in Clint, glaring at him with that usual cocky smirk on his angular face. "And Kate? What about her, hmm? She looks like an excellent shot with that little bow of hers."

Clint turned to face Loki, a strange look of confusion and inner turmoil on his features, "Who? Kate? No...No she's a decent shot at best. Hell, not even decent..." Clint scowled, biting his lip.

Loki raised his eyebrows, obviously knowing something about Clint that no one else here seemed to know. "Whatever you say, Clinty-boy. I witnessed that girl get a bulls-eye twice in a row – but I suppose it's trivial, isn't it? I mean, he was right there with me, watching...weren't you, Clint?"

Clint looked tense, distinctly different now from his usual calm, collected self. He seemed deeply troubled, his teeth gritted and his eyes firmly fixed on Loki's smirk. "So what? She's an amateur. She got lucky...That's it."

Loki nodded in a sarcastic manner. "Mm, I see. The second time as well? How about the third?"

Clint went on the defensive. "What would you know, huh? Have you ever shot a bow before? Look, she got lucky, plain and simple." Clint scanned everyone's eyes, making sure nobody doubted him, that nobody questioned him. This was the first instance Elektra had seen Clint get worked up about something; usually, the boy had been rather cool and confident. Something was bothering Clint greatly.

"I assure you, Kate Bishop is not a problem. If we hunted her...we'd only be wasting our time." Clint turned around, refusing to say anymore on the matter.

Thor looked troubled as well, and didn't like where this was going. "People, look, Kate's dangerous either way, as is everyone -"

Loki stared daggers at the back of Clint's head, laughing to himself. "- You're making a terrible mistake, Thor..."

Thor shot Loki an irritated glance. "I'm not, Loki! Can you just let me handle this? Clint? Clint!"

The boy's arms were crossed as he turned around, chest moving rapidly, evidently in a worse mood than when he first arrived. "It doesn't even matter."

Thor leaned forward. "It does matter, Clint, it's why we're all here. Look at me, we won't hunt down Kate, alright? We'll keep tabs on her, and if we do catch her, we'll...It'll be your decision to make."

Clint's eyes wavered, and if the boy felt anything, he didn't show it. Instead, he breathed in deeply and began fiddling with the zipper of his jacket.

Thor rubbed his temples like he was distressed, speaking as he did, "According to what's been said, it seems the most dangerous tributes this year are as follows – please someone correct me if I left anyone out," Thor squinted his eyes as he counted the names off with his fingers, "Logan, T'Challa, Cletus, Steve...uh...Kate, possibly...Carol, Benedetta. I believe that's it...?"

"Don't forget Bruce," Wade piped in.

Thor rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, Bruce, too. Is that all of them?"

Everyone nodded collectively.

Thor seemed to falter again. "...Alright, so until we're in the Games, just...Just keep an eye on them, I suppose."

Brunhilde looked oddly worried for Thor, and decided to speak up in his behalf. "Thor, I believe it's best we finish this up. Do you have anything else you wish to discuss?"

Thor sighed through his nose and looked beyond the roof – past the shining city – past the springs and the mountains. There was a sense that he had something else to say, but was having trouble finding the words to say it.

Brunhilde gently placed her hand on his right shoulder. "Thor?"

Thor rose from the tiny chair. "Actually, I do have one more thing I wanted to discuss. I should have asked it earlier...get it out of the way. But...I guess it's now or never," Thor looked more troubled than ever before.

Brunhilde looked down, her eyes flitting around, possibly trying to figure out what Thor could be troubled by. "What is it?"

Thor placed his hands firmly on Clint's table, leaning forward. "...When we get in there...eventually the time will come where we will...have to hurt people. It troubles me to say it, but it can't be avoided, and it's something all of us have to accept. It could happen in the beginning, at the Tesseract, or...or it could happen later on the hunt, but at some point, all of us will be faced with that task."

Thor looked a little lost, and more than a little uncomfortable as he continued. "I just want to know that everyone sitting here is comfortable with...that. With hurting people... doing what must be done..."

There was a pervasive silence in the garden, the breeze flowed gently still, rattling the leaves behind them. But it was no longer a comfortable silence. It was an eerie silence. None of them wanted to look at each other directly, instead, they all cast their heads down. Some sneakily peeked up to check what everyone else was feeling, but only once, and never again. Even Loki seemed to have a difficult time processing this, his cocky smile no longer there. Wade's chin was in his hand, for once – seemingly silent, transfixed on a solitary crack in the ground.

This was a change in their dynamic that Elektra never expected to see. It quite frankly made her feel uncomfortable, tense, and sickly. The fact that this needed to be discussed...It was strange to her. Essentially, Thor was asking them if they were willing to accept the notion of becoming murderers. How can someone possibly react to that?

Clint coughed into his hand and spoke up. "...That's what our role is, right? We're the Careers, we've gotta be big, we've gotta be bad. In the end, I guess true Careers learn to accept that, huh? Forget about home, forget about values, we're just here to put on a good show," Clint spat, shaking his head and chuckling darkly, "It's a wonder everybody hates us..."

Thor rubbed his eyes with a fist, refusing to show weakness. "...Yes, well..." The large boy began to pace back and forth, refusing to look at anyone if he couldn't help it. "I suggest we...get rid of everyone that we see – don't hesitate – don't feel anything. Just...do. Don't think about it. Just push...Just push all the things we know now to the side. There's no room for that where we're going."

Elektra couldn't tell if Thor was trying to convince himself or everyone else as he spoke.

"Thankfully, we have someone in our group that...has experience with this sort of thing," Thor looked at Elektra, nodding. Elektra's heart sank, her face going pale as Thor revealed to everyone what she had done.

Thor didn't notice, he was too busy off in his own world, trying to come to terms himself with becoming inhuman. Elektra couldn't really blame Thor for it, but the fact he even mentioned it was her greatest fear all along. Elektra sank further into her seat, her leg bouncing nervously.

"If anyone could assist us, other than our mentors, it's Elektra. So, as we go around, if anyone has any questions about this, you could either address them to me, or to Elektra." Thor continued to pace, his hands scrunched in his pockets, eyebrows furrowed.

Elektra didn't even want to look up, but she could feel the stares lingering on her – she could feel Natasha peering at her under her scarlet veil, she could feel Clint sighing as he studied her. It was nerve-racking.

"So it's true, then? We have a murderer in our midst?" Loki almost sounded impressed.

She didn't want to answer, not like this. But if she didn't, then they'd never trust her. She had to say something.

Elektra sighed. "Yeah, it's true. I killed a man when I was fourteen – it's why I was sent to prison," she murmured.

Loki almost didn't seem to care. Like he's heard it all before, like it really wasn't a big deal. His eyebrows raised, but his voice was nonchalant, "How convenient." Loki took a small swig from Wade's wine once more. "Really, congratulations, dear. You did what I should have done years ago. Maybe then I wouldn't have ended up in this shit-hole."

Natasha, for the first time, seemed to struggle with her words. This was the only question she seemed to not be expecting. "I mean...it can't be too hard. If we just push our feelings away, I think it could get easier over time. But...if one of us were in danger, there's no question. I'd save any one of us if it came down to it..."

Elektra had a hard time deciding if Natasha was being genuine, or was just using her skill with words to make it seem so. She certainly looked troubled as she silently fiddled with her braid.

Clint sighed. "Look, if need be, I could do it. Considering where I've come from...the things I did, it wouldn't be too hard to go the extra mile and finish the job."

Wade was silent under his mask – the boy hadn't even uttered a word for the past several minutes. Considering Wade's personality, this was rather unusual.

Brunhilde looked like something was troubling her, and finally stood up from her seat. Thor paused in pace, staring at her with full attention. "I believe it's appropriate, in an instance such as this one, that we make a pact. A pact to do what must be done, until our dying breath. A pact that once the Games begin, we will not discuss the fallen, nor should we be prideful. For we are not animals – but warriors."

Everyone stood up, extending their arms and placing their hands in the centre of the table. Elektra was incredulous – Loki even more so, looking at Brunhilde as if she had gone insane. Thor was the first to place his hand above hers on the table, followed by Clint, Natasha, Elektra, Loki, and finally, Wade.

Brunhilde looked at each of them, her blue eyes piercing through the fog of confusion, a light in the darkness. "There is no coming back from this, understand? This pact will die when this alliance does."

Slowly, everyone removed their hand, the full weight of their decision firmly placed on their shoulders, visible in the darkness of their eyes, the silence of their scowls.

The rite was complete. They had officially become Careers, and there was no turning back now.

Thor gathered everyone once more, a serious look on his features. "Again, I appreciate you all coming here tonight – it meant a lot to Brunhilde and me. It's time we rest – tomorrow are the uh...What is tomorrow?" Thor looked at Brunhilde with a puzzled look.

Brunhilde knew instantly, as if the date were marked on a calendar. "Tomorrow are the private training assessments – I suggest you all consider what you wish to demonstrate for the Gamemakers. Our scores will not only determine our survival, but our reputation."

Thor yawned, pushing back his thick blonde hair. "Exactly. So we rest, and show them everything we've got. So, if there are no other questions, this meeting is concluded."

Loki was the first to head for the elevator. "Yes, yes, farewell, sweet tidings, dream about...bunnies or something...bed-bugs...Bah, whatever the hell happy people say."

Thor and Brunhilde followed Loki into the lift, never once looking back. They carried themselves in an exhausted manner. The meeting took a chunk out of everyone, mentally and emotionally.

Soon enough, Natasha begrudgingly convinced Clint to rise from his seat. "Clint, come on, get up!" Natasha tugged on Clint's arm until he fell out of the chair.

Clint groaned in protest. "Aw...come on, Natasha. But it was so comfy..." Natasha aided Clint as they ambled to the lift. Clint was so tired and drunk the boy could barely walk straight. Clint waved behind him. "Cheers to hangovers!" Clint raised his fist in victory.

At long last, Elektra and Wade were the final two on the roof. Elektra's eyes were shutting involuntarily, her mind becoming slightly disoriented. She stretched her aching muscles like a cat, hoping the pain would wake her up enough so she could walk herself back to her room.

Elektra noticed Wade, very much unlike himself, standing near the edge of the balcony of the roof, looking far into the horizon. Elektra slowly approached, the breeze from the edge causing the strands of loose hairs near her forehead to flow back. "You coming with, or should I just leave you up here?" she asked the boy, his back turned to her.

Wade actually seemed surprised to see her. "Oh, hey. Eh, just...admiring the view, you know? So many lights down there..." Wade's voice cracked a little, like he was fighting back tears. His voice seemed uncharacteristically hollow.

Elektra wasn't good with comforting people...not at all. It was one of her greatest faults, and if she even tried to comfort Wade Wilson, a boy she was sure was half-insane, it would only end in disaster.

So Elektra did what she did best, kept her mouth shut, and walked away. Whatever issues Wade had, he needed to solve them alone. After all, that's how she grew up.

"Hey, Elektra?" Wade called after her, a hint of desperation in his voice. She paused, and looked back.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Depends," she muttered.

"What...what was it like to kill that guy?" It would have sounded funny had Wade said it like normal, but it wasn't funny. It wasn't even strange. It was...sad. Wade seemed torn, she could hear it in his voice.

Elektra didn't expect the question, her eyebrows furrowed, mulling for some answer in her mind – a recollection of all the feelings that coursed through her brain at fourteen, when she took a dagger, and began viciously stabbing the boy involved in her father's death in the snow – once a friend, then an enemy. She remembered getting to her knees first and stabbing him in the tendon – above his left ankle. And she didn't stop until he fell. She didn't stop until she no longer heard his pleas for mercy, his jumbled curses, his sobs.

But in all that, the lust for vengeance clouded her mind like a red haze – any feelings of remorse for the boy named 'Bullseye' flew out the window the second he told her how he got his scar a week before. Elektra knew she was sick in the head for being able to plan and carry out the murder so calmly, even as a kid. But it helped to know the boy deserved it, and that the world didn't deserve him.

As Wade anxiously waited for an answer, all Elektra could think about was all the blood, and how she knew there was no way she could possibly hide it from the Sentinels. It was the reason she turned herself in.

So Elektra told Wade the truth. "It was...messy," she muttered, nodding slightly as she remembered.

Wade looked at her with an abject look of disbelief, but she couldn't understand why. She told him the truth, did she not?

For the first time, Wade didn't laugh at her sarcasm. He laughed, but it was a normal one – a laugh much like Natasha's laugh – nervous. "You're joking, right?" Wade sort of tilted his head, trying to figure out if Elektra was joking, just being her usual sarcastic, moody self like always.

But Elektra wasn't laughing, and she felt more offended than anything. Why would she joke about it? She couldn't fathom it.

Wade hesitated. "I mean...there has to be more to it than that. 'Messy' is a given, considering..."

Elektra felt a little guilty. It seemed Wade really wanted to know, but it's like trying to recall her dreams in vivid detail. She couldn't describe it, not clearly. "Wade...I don't...know how to answer that," she admitted, sadly.

Wade sighed and nodded his head, "Yeah, I figured as much. Well, tell me this...Indulge me, did you feel bad about it afterward? Were you...I don't know, haunted by visions or anything? Nightmares? Was it easy to cope with what you did?" Wade was desperate for an answer, and even if she didn't feel any of those things, she could at least try to help Wade.

Again, it was incredibly difficult for her to put it into words for someone like Wade to understand, or anyone for that matter. Nobody had ever asked her these questions before.

"At that...point in my life, I guess I was just so...angry at the world, that nothing else mattered anymore. When I killed that man, I had nothing left to lose. Having that mind-set...It's dangerous, Wade. I was in that place once, and I can tell you, it's not really a good place for anyone to be."

"Being in that mind-set," she continued, "I can honestly say – that no, I didn't feel guilt when I did it, I didn't feel guilt after I did it, and I still don't – but everyone's different. As for the nightmares...I don't really remember them." Elektra hoped it was good enough for Wade, despite the boy having turned away again, looking down at the glowing city.

Elektra glanced at the bottle of mostly drunken 'Le Flambeau' sitting on one of the tables. "Hey, what are you going to do with that wine?"

Wade smiled softly through his mask. "Ah, you know...I think I'll stash it up here somewhere. Leave it for the next bunch."

She looked at him curiously. "Next bunch?"

Wade chuckled, "Elektra, this'll probably be the last time we'll ever be up here. A year from now, I bet you there'll be six more tired, dull fellows who would really appreciate a little pick-me-up. Gods knows they'll need it."

"Think they'll ever find it?" she wondered.

Wade looked longingly at the expensive bottle. "We can only hope."

As Elektra turned to leave, Wade called to her once more. "Hey, Elektra? Are...you still in that place?"

She mulled it over a second, the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze the only sound to be heard. "I don't know, Wade."

She swivelled on her heel in deep thought, walking to the elevator and leaving Wade Wilson to his lonesome in the night.

---

As Elektra entered the main room, the entire sanctum was dim and silent, save for the ticking of a neon wall-clock. It was exactly midnight.

She shoved off her boots and let her dark hair fall loose past her shoulders, padding barefoot into the dining room, where her mentor Johnny Storm sat in the darkness.

Elektra wasn't startled when she saw the man, she half-expected him to still be up, watching television. What she didn't expect to find was Johnny sitting in the dark, both hands under his chin in silence.

Johnny shoved out one of the chairs across from him with his foot. "Elektra, glad you could make it back. Would you sit down for a minute?"

Elektra narrowed her dark eyes at him warily. "What's this about?"

Johnny crossed his arms, his face pensive. "Just wanted to talk for a minute – I'll make it quick, I know you need to sleep."

Elektra slowly slid down in the chair, keeping her body side-ways as she sat down, facing the wall instead of Johnny.

"I thought a lot this evening about what happened earlier," Johnny leaned forward on his arms, "And...I'm going to be honest, it seriously made me reconsider my decision to mentor you."

Elektra smirked and nodded, leaning back in her seat. "So that's what this is about. Well, Johnny, I do tend to have that effect."

"See, there you go again...Being difficult, and I don't understand why," he argued.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I don't either, Johnny. Are we done?"

Johnny slammed his fist on the surface of the table. "No, we're not, actually! And if we don't resolve this issue right here and right now, it's going to make me look bad."

Elektra grinned. "So it's all about you then, isn't it? No wonder you haven't had any victors. On second thought, Johnny, I think I'll pass on being mentored. Turns out, I'm better off without one."

"So I'm guessing you don't want any sponsors either, right? Well, sunshine, don't come crying to me when you need bandages, or water, or medicine...I guess you can handle all that on your own, can't you?" Johnny snapped.

Elektra didn't respond. Her temper was flaring up, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to control, so she tapped her fingers on the table, letting Johnny go off.

"You know, it's looking more and more like this'll be another fucking failure of the year for me. I'm serious, you have to be the most difficult human being I have ever had the displeasure of working with, and that's no joke. Don't get me wrong, you're a beautiful–"

She smirked at that, making a sarcastic face at the irate man to piss him off more, and it worked.

Johnny nodded his head angrily. "Yeah, go ahead and smile. I'm sure you like being called beautiful, don't you? But you didn't let me finish, you're beautiful, but inside, you're ugly, and I saw that from the very beginning. I've tried and tried to make you like me, and I've tried to work with you, but quite frankly, Elektra, you're impossible to like."

Elektra began to imagine the many ways she would like to kill Johnny Storm. Right now, she was fantasizing about using the wall-clock to bash his skull in, and using the glass to slowly carve out his eyeballs.

"Here's a little fun-fact for you, sunshine – right about now, your odds of winning this thing are zero." Johnny made a symbol with his fingers. "You have a better chance of walking outside and getting struck by lightning. At the rate you've been going, I can't imagine anyone who would ever sponsor you. You don't smile, you don't wave, you don't even look at these people. And let me tell you, that's just not how this thing works!"

Elektra leaned forward in her chair until she was right in front of his face. "So how does this thing work, Johnny? What, do I jump into bed with you like all the other girls do? Is that the secret? Well tough shit, because I don't care."

Johnny was dead silent as she spoke to him. "I don't care about anyone or anything. I don't care about you, I don't care about any of this...I never have and never will."

Elektra rushed out of her chair, and climbed up onto the oak table, kneeling until she was right in front of Johnny Storm. His eyes widened, but for some reason, he stayed seated.

The man instinctively turned away and flinched as she got up in his face, gesturing with her fingers at her own dark amber eyes. "Here, look at my eyes and tell me exactly what you see, Johnny Storm. Come on, look! What do you see?"

Johnny gritted his teeth, a hint of fear she perhaps noticed in his blue orbs, but there was more hatred there indeed.

Johnny Storm would never admit to Elektra that he did indeed see absolutely nothing. He would never give the brat the satisfaction – but Johnny Storm knew those eyes anywhere. Johnny would never forget them, because he had seen them before.

Johnny saw them many years ago, just days before he would launch the flaming arrow into the gasoline soaked prairie around the Tesseract. As Johnny Storm hung upside down from a snare, he watched Roberto da Costa slay his allies, one by one, until finally the boy got to him, and just before Roberta would plunge the dagger into his gut to try and kill him, Johnny saw up close the near pitch-black eyes that would haunt his dreams forever – eyes so devoid of any humanity or compassion, Johnny wondered how someone seemingly so normal could even reach that point.

Sitting there, looking into Elektra's eyes, Johnny felt like he was back in the arena, hanging upside down, watching his world crumble around him all over again.

This girl was already there, and she wasn't trying to scare him, she was trying to ask him for help. But Johnny was too vain, too frightened of his memories to possibly tell her this.

So he told her what he'd been trying to tell her all along. "I see a girl who won't be walking out from that arena alive," he whispered.

Elektra stared at him for a moment with great ferocity, before giving him her final answer. "Watch me."

Elektra climbed off the table, knocking a chair down and causing Johnny to flinch in the silence, before walking to her room, letting the darkness she so sought claim her at last.