GET READY CAUSE THIS CHAPTAH IS GONNA BLOW. YER. MIND. It's long, emotional, and action-packed! It is seriously one of my favorites. Lots of good content, so I hope you enjoy it. :D Also, I couldn't bring myself to put this at the end of last chapter or this chapter because I liked the endings too much to soil. So I'll just put it here!

RIP Viatrix, Horatia, and Perrin

Viatrix- When I first received her, Viatrix had to be given a bit of a makeover because she had a relationship with Leon. But given the whole timeframe, it wasn't going to work out. But I must say I enjoyed her little-girl-fairytale crush on him more. She really came together! Writing her, she quickly grew to be one of my favorite female tributes. I wish I could have given you one last scene with her struggling for life, but as I wrote it, it didn't feel right. I hope Apollo's and Lance's feelings of loss were enough to compensate for it.

Horatia- Yet another fabulous~ tribute. Her friendship with Antony was great, and Brianne too, despite it being manipulative. But Horatia isn't perfect and that's what I like about her. Hers was a rather unexpected shocker of a death, but those are realistic and you've got to have those. I'm sorry, Horatia! I hope Antony and Brianne have prepared you a classy tea party on the other side when you get there.

Perrin- He was a lot of fun and he stole the show wherever he went. He's a tribute you love to hate or hate to love or maybe both. I felt like he's one of the tributes I THINK I did a really good job with, so I wish his creator would let me know if I'm right or not (wink wink nudge nudge, I'd love to hear from ya)! His death preference was "the most horrible, painful, and gruesome death you can think up of that fits in with the plot." I hope his end was a fitting one. I'll miss him.

"Hey there, folks. Feels like it's been a while since we talked, but that's only cause of the nonstop action we've been seein' in the Games," Al Frezno said somberly. "And we've been losin' tributes at an alarming rate. Viatrix, Horatia, Perrin…it's been a sad day. The atmosphere's been heavy here in the studio."

Even Adrenaline seemed affected by the sorrowful atmosphere. That, or she was still trying to get over her hangover. "Only Day 2 and we're down by more than half," she said sadly. "These Games are gonna be over way too fast."

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Al warned. "There have been shorter Games—and there have also been Games that last for days and days despite only havin' a handful of tributes left. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Meanwhile, the Plasmonster is ruining everything!" Adrenaline slammed her fist on the desk. "After we lost Judith, Casca became my new favorite tribute. But he hasn't been able to stir up any trouble trapped inside that…that thing!"

Al chuckled. "I see the name Plasmonster has caught on."

"Yeah. Catchier than 'Kraken,' if you ask me. It's not an octopus!"

Al just nodded along. "Yeah, maybe. Let's just hope it doesn't capture any more tributes or else we might be in some deep doo-doo."

Ryiero ran.

He was dimly aware of a burning in his calves as he scaled step after step. But in his mind, all he could see was Perrin's last moments. Blood everywhere. His pitiful voice, unable to form words as his life slipped from his grasp. He had caused that.

What was I supposed to do? Ryiero thought, tears in his eyes. He was coming at me with that knife and I panicked. And I…I got it right. A picture of Perrin's name scrawled in the book came to mind.

He had put it there and a crude image had formed beneath it. An image of chalky-looking blood bursting from a hole in Perrin's torso, a little frown scrawled on his face. Words had been filled in. Ryiero didn't know what they said, but he could guess. Something not unlike what had been written about Elara. Like the Games were nothing more than a children's picturebook.

Ryiero had almost reached the top of the building. He could hear Duke calling him from a few floors before, struggling to keep up. He could hear his own gasps, echoing through the stairwell. They melded with Perrin's dying moans in his mind.

Finally, he was at the top. Ryiero threw open the doors to the roof. Fresh air filled his lungs. But there was something else there too. The same smell that had permeated the stairwell after Perrin's death.

Ryiero cried out at the sight before him. The rooftop had a large, gaudy Capitol emblem that blinked in the arena night after night. Everyone had seen it from the get-go. But what they couldn't have seen from anywhere else was the pool at the base of the sign.

Tanning chairs and colorful umbrellas surrounded the pool. Tables had been set up for picnickers. A lifeguard chair sat empty, yards from a diving board. Everything was normal about the scene—except that the pool was filled with a sticky red fluid.

Just from the smell, Ryiero could tell it was blood. He dropped to his knees, tears pouring down his face.

Perrin's blood. Elara's blood. The blood of all of the tributes who had died—not just in this Hunger Games, but also in every past Games. And it was all the Capitol's fault.

His shoulders shook as sobs racked his chest. "I'm sorry…" he said, to no one in particular. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Duke stood behind Ryiero, having finally caught up. He watched him mourn in silence. Perhaps I should have done the deed myself, he thought.

They had worked so hard for the Death Note and now it was useless, its power spent. Their objective was gone. Then again, it had never really changed. They were supposed to kill tributes. Now they would just have to do it by other means.

Duke pulled his map out of his pocket, toying with it while he waited for Ryiero to gather himself. Then it would be time to move on.

Apollo and Lance had managed to lose the Plasmonster on the stairs of the burned building. They'd randomly selected a floor and took cover, catching their breath in a hotel room.

"Welcome to Hotel Hell. Check-in time is now, check-out time is never!" Apollo panted, leaning against the door. He tried to inject some humor into his voice and failed.

"Check-out time is death," Lance corrected.

Suddenly, Tully joined them. Apollo was becoming more used to her spontaneous visits and managed not to shoot her. She stood before them, her eyes still containing the horror of what she just witnessed.

Lance immediately picked up on it. "What's wrong?" he asked sharply.

"It was…it was the worst thing ever," Tully managed to say, voice quavering. "I wanted to warn everyone, but I…when I came to warn Eugenia, she was with Perrin and…Ryiero and Duke. Perrin…he died…so horribly." She shuddered at the memory. "I didn't get a chance to tell them about the Plasmonster."

Apollo looked unconcerned, adjusting his glasses with one hand. "Why even waste the energy?"

Tully didn't answer. There was something else she wanted to share with them. "Perrin said something about Eugenia having another power. He said if you try to hurt her, it backfires on you."

"Then again, it's good when you use your energy for this," Apollo said, changing his mind. "This is useful information. Thank you, Tullia."

She nodded vaguely.

"Maybe you should get some rest," Lance suggested, observing her closely.

"I think…I think that's a good idea. I'll see you two tomorrow," Tully said.

Lance was tempted to remark, "If we even make it to tomorrow," but Tully vanished before he could do so. He looked to Apollo, who was staring at him oddly. "What?"

"I hear something." Apollo instantly went to the door and peered out. A second later, he was back in the room, gathering up their stuff in a hurry. "Let's go. It found us."

When Percy heard the sound of the cannon, he'd gone to the nearest window to see who had died. A few minutes later, he spotted Perrin being carried out by Zion. Eugenia followed.

"It sucks we lost those losers from earlier, but don't worry Killer…there's other prey," Percy reassured the tiger.

She was pacing back and forth in the tiny hotel room, tail lashing, eager for action. Even Whatever was awake, perched on Percy's shoulder. The two of them watched Zion and Eugenia disappear back inside. He was about to follow when movement at the burned tower caught his eye. What he saw thrilled him.

It was Apollo and Lance. They had foolishly sprinted out of the adjacent building and were coming straight towards this one, unaware of what they were getting themselves into. Percy had been waiting for his chance to exact vengeance on Lance for humiliating him at every turn.

"Come on!" he said, bounding away from the window and hurrying down to the hotel lobby as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

He waited for Lance at the bottom of the escalators, in front of the main entrance. A grin stretched across his pudgy face, from ear to ear. Clever comments raced through his mind. He practiced a few of them out loud.

"Hey Lance, Apollo. Let's be friends again. I promise to be good. Ha! I lied! See you, suckers…no." Percy tapped his chin and tried a few more. "No one will help you now! Um…oh! Now who do you think is the cool guy?!" He smiled and said it again. "Now who do you think is the cool guy?"

That one felt right. Lance always walked around like he was so cool and smart. Just you wait. I'll show you who's cool and smart. Percy gazed at Kid-Killer, admiring her glossy coat.

"Oh! Don't kill them until I give the order, okay? I want to gloat!"

Killer's ears twitched in acknowledgement, but her gaze was focused on the entrance. By the way she stilled, Percy could tell his prey was drawing near. He rubbed his hands together with a gleeful giggle. Three…two…one…

The doors flung open. Gasping, Apollo and Lance came running straight at him.

"Hey losers!" Percy called loudly. "Now who do you think is the cool-?!"

But to Percy's surprise, the sight of a giant Tiger Swallowtail didn't slow their step. Apollo and Lance blasted right past him and up the escalators. Killer let them pass, still waiting on her master's word.

Percy was speechless. Just when he had gathered himself enough to go after them, something else threw open the doors at the main entrance.

Killer was immediately on her feet, tail fluffed up to twice its size. The fur along her spine bristled and her ears were flat against her skull.

"What is it?!" It looked like Killer was baring her teeth at nothing. Then Percy saw it—a gelatinous mass making its way straight for him. It was lugging two bodies with it.

He scrambled backwards, tripping over his own feet. As he landed on his back, Whatever flew off and landed in front of him. "What is that?!" he shrieked in a high-pitched voice. "A muttation?! Kill it, Killer!"

Killer stayed where she was, snarling at the behemoth as it oozed closer and closer. When it came too close, she turned tail and fled up the escalator. Percy watched helplessly as she disappeared behind a cluster of pillars without him.

"Stop!" Percy commanded, holding out his palm. "Stop right there!"

But the monster just kept coming. Percy tried to scramble backwards and found his way blocked. His legs felt like jelly—he couldn't seem to get to his feet.

Suddenly, he realized Whatever had fallen from his perch. The poor mole cricket was right in the line of fire. The Plasmonster slithered over the tiny muttation, drawing him inside its clear body. Whatever uttered a tiny chirp of alarm right before he was consumed. Then his body began breaking down before Percy's eyes.

"NO!" Percy screamed, diving forward to rescue his pet. His hands plunged into the monster's cool, gooey exterior and closed around Whatever. But his body seemed to melt right through his fingers. Percy tried to pull away, but found he had become stuck.

Percy wailed in terror as the monster worked its way up his arms. He tried to kick it away, but only succeeded in trapping his legs. It was like being lodged in thick, thick mud. And it was sucking him down into its depths.

Casca and Horatia's pale faces were hideously clear before his. He uttered one last scream before the monster consumed his face. The edges of his vision went black. The darkness crawled its way inward, swallowing him up.

Then he knew nothing.

A storm was brewing.

Night was still a few hours away, but clouds moved in, darkening the sky. With them, they brought a light rain. Heat lightning flashed in the distance and the mountains cast ominous shadows in the valley. The Fallen was broadcast early, so the tributes could see who had passed on this day.

Viatrix, Horatia, and Perrin peered at them from the skies. Both girls had rather demure smiles on their faces, while Perrin hadn't been able to resist winking for the camera. Somehow, this show of confidence mustered up more pity for him than a look of fear would have.

During this time, Gliss and Chip were hiding out in the forest. When the rain started, they retreated to a small house near the edge of it. Now they sat on the porch, listening to the rain patter on the roof. Chip had given Gliss his jacket, since her clothes were in such poor condition.

With each passing minute, she grew a little bit more nervous for her friend's safety. "Maybe you should just go," she kept saying. "Go back to your old alliance."

"There's no going back now," Chip said flatly. Perrin was dead. He had no idea where Casca was, but he doubted he was with Zion. There was too much tension there. Their alliance had finally and quietly fallen apart.

"But what if something happens…?"

"Nothing's going to happen. Where's that optimism of yours gone?"

Gliss heaved a frustrated sigh. Still, she couldn't deny she was grateful for Chip's presence. They were both certain that controlling her emotions was the key to controlling her power. Both times she had transformed, she'd been under a great amount of distress. But perhaps if she accepted the transformation, she could come to use it.

"Just don't lose sight of your humanity," Chip reminded her for the umpteenth time that evening.

"I won't. Cross my heart," Gliss said, doing just that. "But you have to promise me something."

"What's that?"

Gliss smiled, breathing in the fresh air. The smell of rain was nice. So was the pitter-patter of it hitting the roof of the house. She wished she could have preserved this image for a moment longer.

"If I try to attack you, use your power to get away. Or kill me if you have to."

"I won't have to kill you because you're not going to lose it," Chip answered. "But if you do…I can do the former."

Gliss made him cross his heart twice over. Doing so lightened the mood. They switched topics after that, discussing their old internship and the stories it spawned over a shared dinner. All the while, thunder boomed in the distance, reminding tributes of the impending storm.

Eugenia found herself unable to sleep. Perhaps it was the fact that it was so early, or the fact that an 18-year old boy capable of killing her was sitting just a few yards away.

The two were hiding out in one of the many hotel rooms. She was lying in bed while Zion sat in an armchair facing the door. There was a little light on the end table next to him. She could see his silhouette against it, slightly hunched, holding his head in his hands.

She wanted to trust him. He was the closest thing she had to a friend in this arena. Or maybe…he's the closest thing I've had to a friend, period, Eugenia realized. Aside from her cats, of course. And possibly her sister…but even then, there was too much animosity for it to be a true friendship. Her mother had always pitted them against one another like the fiercest of competitors.

"Can't sleep?"

Eugenia saw Zion peering at her through the darkness. All her restless shifting had caught his attention. "…Yeah," Eugenia answered flatly. "You want to switch?"

Zion shook his head. "I don't think I could sleep either. I've been thinking…"

"About what?"

Zion's eyes seemed to glow in the half-light. There was a long pause. Then he answered:

"About your question from last night. About whether or not I'd ever killed anyone."

Five years ago…

Another explosion shook the house. Zion was certain it was going to collapse at any moment, burying him and the two other soldiers that accompanied him beneath tons of debris. That, or the invading rebels would storm in here and shoot every last one of them. Just like how they had lost the rest of their squad.

I'm not supposed to be here! Zion thought over and over, terrified out of his wits. I'm just a kid. I'm not supposed to be here.

The reality of it was that there were many children enlisted in the Capitol's army. Their numbers couldn't possibly compare to the swollen size of the districts, but they had technology on their side. Muttations and lethal traps were scattered all over the battlegrounds. But it wasn't enough. They needed more soldiers. And so the space was filled with teenagers, the youngest being Zion's age.

The older, braver soldiers in his squad had already died. All that was left was their courageous leader Haro and two useless kids who had only just learned to shoot: himself, and Gellus, a young man only five years his senior. Gellus was a laid-back kind of guy who always insisted his friends call him Gelly. Now he was anything but laid-back.

"I'm never going to see my sweetheart again…" Gelly lamented. He sat on the steps, face buried in his knees. His body armor was covered in blood and tears. "I never even got to tell her I loved her."

"We can't stay here! I'm charging out. Give me some cover fire!" Haro shouted, headed for the front door. His eyes were alight with a certain crazed courage.

Zion found himself unable to move. He stayed huddled in one corner of the house, watching Haro bound for the open front door. He hid around the corner, nodding at him, then Gelly.

Gelly stumbled to his feet, just as Haro gave the order to move out. As soon as he was out the door, the sound of guns being fired rang out. Zion could see Haro's body being peppered with bullets in his mind's eye.

"HARO!" Gelly screamed. He started to go to his friend's aid, when Zion finally found the strength to get to his feet.

"Wait!" he cried out, grabbing Gelly and pulling him away from the door. "He's gone!"

Gelly put both hands on Zion's shoulders. "You didn't see it, kid, he may still be alive! They didn't get him in the head!" His eyes were hopeful. He turned to leave, readying his gun.

Zion struggled to grab Gelly and keep him here, tears streaming down his face. "W-Wait!" he cried out again.

"Let me go!" Gelly snapped, giving Zion a rough shove.

"Please stay with me. Please don't leave me alone!" Zion begged frantically. "Don't leave me alone here!"

Gelly ignored him. With a determined yell, he bounded out of the house. Seconds later, the same guns went off. Zion knew the last remnants of his squad had been shot down.

His legs gave out from under him and he crumpled to the floor. He found himself back in his corner, shaking, pointing his gun at the door. It was all set up to fire, though doubt ate at the edges of his mind. He still didn't feel he knew how to use it properly.

He sat there for what felt like hours. His muscles ached at the weight of his firearm. He felt like he was going to die from sheer suspense.

Then suddenly, movement.

A female soldier came creeping into the house, weapon drawn. She didn't see Zion hiding in the corner. For a long moment, he just stared at her as if she was a foreign animal. Then she noticed him.

She whipped around, aiming her gun at him in one smooth movement. But Zion's finger was ready on the trigger.

BANG.

The woman dropped like a stone, a neat wound in the center of her forehead. She was dead before she hit the ground. Her head remained twisted towards Zion, glazed eyes staring into his.

Zion nearly choked on his tears. His first instinct was to apologize, but he knew the female soldier could no longer hear him. She was dead. Her lifeless gray eyes were a constant reminder of that.

For the rest of the battle, Zion stayed hidden in that house, trying to come to grips with what he had done.

"You asked me before if I had ever killed someone and I didn't answer. Well, the answer is yes. I killed a woman. A rebel soldier. After I killed her, I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd done. I'd taken the life of a daughter, a sister—maybe even a mother. I couldn't imagine the suffering her loved ones would go through because of me."

Zion had left his armchair. He was now sitting in one corner of the room, pressed up against the wall. Eugenia joined him there, sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees. "If killing had such an effect on you, why did you stay in the army?"

"Because my father wanted it. I was kind of a delinquent growing up."

Eugenia couldn't help but smile at the thought. It seemed kind of ridiculous.

Zion noticed her expression and laughed softly. "Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it? I got into a lot of fights. My parents thought the army would straighten me out if I stayed in it. Can't deny they were right." His expression turned serious once again. "Anyways, after that horrible…after what happened, I felt nothing but guilt. It wasn't until I went home and saw my family again that I realized something: it's a kill or be killed world, a give-and-take. If I hadn't shot that woman, she would have shot me. And then it would have been my family feeling that pain of loss." He sighed deeply. "It's true what they say: when someone's dream comes true, someone else's ends."

Eugenia listened quietly, thinking of her own family. All this time, she hadn't really considered their feelings. After all, she was the one who was on death row. Not them. But here was Zion, constantly thinking of his own family and what they might be feeling. It made her feel like an even worse person than she already was.

"So…that's why I kill," Zion said. He winced, as though the words hurt to say. "Trust me, it hurts to do it. I may not feel any pain on the outside, but I can't say the same for the inside. But because of my selfishness, I would rather force that suffering on strangers than put my own family through it. Especially my mother. She once told me that her deepest fear is having to bury one of her own children. I don't want to bring that fear to fruition."

"You're not doing a very good job, then," Eugenia muttered. "You haven't killed anyone since the Bloodbath, have you? And obviously, I'm one of the people standing in your way. You might have to kill me eventually too."

Zion suddenly looked very tired. He passed a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. "I don't know if I can anymore. I'm doing my best to wait out the Games, but…I don't think I can kill again."

The room seemed so quiet. Eugenia kept her voice soft when she asked, "Why not?"

Zion put a hand on his chest. "Everyone who has died…I carry them with me: Locce, Antony, that woman…it feels like a load on my back and it just keeps getting heavier and heavier. It would be so easy to just give up and die."

His words shocked Eugenia. She turned and looked at him with wide eyes, but he barely seemed to notice. He was looking at his hands now, flexing his fingers.

"No more pain," he went on softly. "I wouldn't have to face my mother again, as a monster who killed a child. There would be nothing. Just nothing. And that…sounds wonderful."

Suddenly, the door to the room flew open and their only light went out. Zion and Eugenia were instantly on their feet.

"Something's coming in!" Zion said sharply, making his way forward with his brass knuckles on.

"I don't think it's a person!" Eugenia said, backed up against the far wall. She squinted into the darkness, but even the hallway lights were off. Storm clouds outside blocked off the sun, but a dim, gray light still managed to filter its way in. Still, she could see nothing.

Zion gasped when he saw what seemed to be corpses sliding across the floor, straight towards him. Casca, Horatia, and Percy. A second later, he realized something was carrying them. He struck out with his fists, but they met with a strange, cold substance and became stuck.

"Zion!" Eugenia shrieked.

Zion struggled wildly in the monster's grip, knocking over furniture. Eugenia screamed as he was absorbed into the beast, and his body became still. Then the muttation turned its attention to her. It began sliding across the floor, dragging its collection of bodies with it.

She backed into the corner, heart pounding. Then she remembered something: the diary. It felt like she had read it ages ago, but the appearance of this beast reminded of her its existence. "Kraken?" Eugenia asked softly, pressed up against the wall.

The gelatinous mass seemed to pause.

Eugenia wracked her brain for any other information she could remember. The scientists said it had been intelligent. Eugenia believed that all animals were smart, in their own way. Maybe she could show it she meant no harm. Maybe she could even reason with it.

She held her hands up, showing that she carried no weapon. Her knife had been left by the bed. "You're what scientists called the Kraken, aren't you?" she said, keeping her voice soft and reassuring. "My name is Eugenia."

The lights in the room suddenly flickered on. Her eyes widened slightly at the scene before her. She could see the other tributes clearly now. They were all unconscious, trapped within the monster.

Despite the fact that it was a shapeless mass with no face, Eugenia thought she could sense the Kraken looking at her with curiosity. It rose up slightly as if to get a better view, towering all the way to the ceiling. Its nucleus, about the size of a human head, rose with it.

Eugenia looked up at the nucleus, pretending the pile of tributes within its body didn't exist. "You don't have to do this," she went on, keeping her expression and voice calm. "Let's be friends, okay? Friends?" She slowly offered a hand.

The Kraken inched a little bit closer. Eugenia stayed completely still, so as to not appear threatening. She let the Kraken move about as it pleased, observing her from every angle. Very tentatively, part of its body reached forth and touched her hand.

Suddenly, the air vibrated with a strange sound she had never heard before. It was a peculiar trill that sounded distant, yet close. She realized with a thrill that the strange beast was trying to communicate with her. It was intelligent after all!

It pulled away, wriggling with what she thought might be pleasure.

Eugenia struggled to keep from shaking. "Now…do you think you could please let my friend go?" She nodded at Zion's limp body. It felt somewhat silly to call him a friend, but then she realized she could think of a better word for it. Ally? It seemed too unfamiliar, especially after Zion had shared his innermost thoughts with her. Perrin and Casca had been her 'allies' and she'd hated them.

The Kraken slowly sunk back down to eye level. Eugenia thought she could detect a change in its emotions. A negative change.

But before she could do anything about it, the Kraken lunged forward, consuming her in a heartbeat. She managed to let out an ear-piercing scream before it overtook her head and drew her into the same darkness the others had entered.

Apollo and Lance heard Eugenia's screams from down the hall. They were inside their own hotel room, eating the last of their food.

"Do you think it's the Plasmonster?" Lance asked, grabbing his spear. "That thing doesn't sleep!"

Apollo stared past Lance, out the window. "No, Lance, I do not think that it is the Plasmonster." He pointed over his shoulder.

Lance whirled around. At first, he didn't see anything. Then he spotted the nucleus. The Plasmonster was pressed up against the window. Cracks were beginning to form under its girth. "That thing can climb up walls?!" Lance gasped, backing away.

"Let's go! We can outrun it."

"Not if it doesn't sleep!"

Apollo didn't argue. He gave Lance a push to get him moving and the two tributes rushed out of the room. Then they stopped.

For at the far end of the hallway, lights were flickering off one by one. Around the corner came the Plasmonster, bloated with the body of not two, but five tributes. At the same time they laid eyes on it, they heard glass shattering. The second Plasmonster had forced its way into the building.

"There are two!" Lance cried out, terrified. Never had he witnessed such a strange and horrifying muttation. And that was saying something, considering the arena's inhabitants.

Apollo's fear was suddenly replaced with fury. "That's it! I'm sick of being hunted like prey!" He whipped out his crossbow and aimed a bolt at the Plasmonster coming down the hall. Not caring if he hit one of the tributes, he let it fly. As soon as it struck the monster's body, it lost all momentum. A few seconds later, it dissolved into nothing.

Apollo threw down his crossbow and ran at the Plasmonster, pulling out his nunchucks as he went. The nucleus was within reach—that was his target. He'd played enough video games to be able to spot obvious weak points.

Lance, meanwhile, was ready to plunge his spear into the other Plasmonster, but as soon as he saw that weapons did nothing, he gave up the idea. Instead, he slammed the door in its metaphoric face and held it shut.

Something cold seeped around his ankles. He looked down to see the Plasmonster was squeezing its body through the crack beneath the door. Gasping, he let go of the knob and the door flew open. The Plasmonster gushed forth like a horrible transparent wave and crashed on top of him.

Apollo swung his nunchuck viciously at the Plasmonster's nucleus. It connected with a satisfying squelching sound. The next thing he knew, he was on his back, twitching with pain, the nunchuck absent from his hands. A strange, electrical shock had thrown him back. He lay there, stunned, trying to regain his senses.

The two Plasmonsters crawled toward him, down each side of the hallway, closing the gap fast. One corroded the crossbow into nothing, while the other dissolved his nunchucks. But he barely noticed. His mind was spinning.

"Perrin said something about Eugenia having another power. He said if you try to hurt her, it backfires on you."

The electrical shock. The appearance of a second Plasmonster. The lights going out, the ability to crawl up walls, the sleeplessness…the Plasmonster had tributes' powers. With each one it absorbed, it gained a new ability.

"Lance!" Apollo screamed, stumbling to his feet. "This thing can take our powers! Don't let it—"

His heart sunk when he turned around and saw that Lance had already been consumed. His little body was curled at the bottom of the Plasmonster's clone. Apollo felt his jaw clench with rage, so hard that it hurt. Without stopping to think, he rushed the Plasmonster and plunged one hand into its body. He grabbed Lance's arm and began to pull his ally free—but he couldn't do it.

The Plasmonster was sucking him in. He tried to pull away, but didn't have enough strength. Even when he let go of Lance, he couldn't do it. The Plasmonster's cool body was consuming his, sending chills up his spine. He tried to run and it caught hold of his legs.

The other Plasmonster, the original, was pressing in from the other side. There was nowhere to run. If they get my power… The very thought terrified him.

And with so many powers to control, who would stop them? There were only five tributes left. Tully was practically helpless. If none of these fallen tributes could stand up to the monster—if he couldn't stand up to it, there was no hope left.

The plasma crept further and further up his body, covering his chest. Now only one of his arms, his neck, and his head were free. His legs had gone limp. He could feel the edges of his vision turning dark.

It's time, he thought.

Apollo thrust his fist high above his head. His sleeve fell back to reveal a simple wristwatch. A second before his face was covered, Apollo opened his mouth wide and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"THE ONE WHO CONTROLS TIME!"

Before the darkness consumed him, Apollo saw the watch glow with a peculiar light.

That light expanded from there, lighting up the hallways, turning everything to stark white. It burst from the windows of the skyscraper and flooded the outside world. It was accompanied by a droning hum that sang out all across the valley.

Chip and Gliss rushed outside when they saw the sky turn bright. Then the light became so brilliant that they had to shield their eyes. All shapes and shadows disappeared in the all-consuming white.

The arena was gone.