Gamemaker's HQ
"Virgo." Crest pressed a button on the Head Gamemaker's desk and gestured to the resulting display.
"What do you want?" Virgo snapped. "My arena is collapsing, Mr. Crest, I really don't have any time to waste."
"I understand," said Crest. "I just thought you would like to know that while the tributes are mostly consolidated to the front half of the island, the back half has crumbled almost completely, and the mountain is starting to fall."
"The mountain," Virgo groaned. "What does that mean for us? How much time do we have left?"
"They are saying the entire structure could be underwater in as little as twelve hours."
"Everyone," Virgo announced, drawing the attention of the room. "We are coming to a close. I want cameras focused on tributes, but get me some shots of the tremors as well. I don't want to see any of the machinery, just the natural elements. Listen carefully; we need our audience to see this disaster as an orchestrated event, not an accident. Everything hinges on that. Get to work, I'll see you on the other side."
The Gamemakers' heads bent to each of their individual tasks as Virgo stepped toward the door.
"Crest," she said quietly. "I'll be right back, I have a phone call to make."
ARENA: Scarlette and Till
Scarlette crept closer to Till. It would be a quick motion. All she had to do was reach forward, pull across the throat to the right, and step away before he had the time to react. He would die pretty quickly, and then the sponsor gifts would come again. She would win. The boy's sobs over Lannah's body were weakening, and Scarlette knew her window was closing. She planted her feet just behind him, her breath catching in her throat.
And he saw her.
Till jerked away from Scarlette just before the scalpel came around toward his neck. An animal grunt of surprise escaped his throat, and Till lashed out, catching Scarlette's hip with his fist and knocking her back. Anger flooded Till's face as he jumped onto his feet.
"You did this, didn't you?" Till yelled, his voice raw as he pointed at Lannah's corpse. "Didn't you?!" Every part of him screamed to rush at her, but Scarlette still held the razor sharp blade out in front of her.
"It wasn't me," Scarlette replied. "She just couldn't go on living knowing that you hated her so much. You killed her."
Till screamed and launched himself at Scarlette, knocking her to the ground where the scalpel slipped out of her hand. Scarlette shrieked and kicked at Till as he continued to rush forward, knocking him off balance just as the ground was shaken by a violent tremor. Till fell, and Scarlette scrambled to her feet and into a desperate sprint. Tears streaked down Scarlette's face as she bolted across the sand away from her assailant. Dodging tree trunks and leaping over exposed roots, Scarlette's heart hammered in her chest. Till was going to catch her. Popularity wasn't enough to save her this time. The ground shook again, and Scarlette let out a strangled cry, falling onto the sand. She glanced back just in time to see Till closing the gap between them. His feet pounded across the sand with terrifying desperation, and his scarred hands were curled into fists. Scarlette closed her eyes.
The blows never came.
Till pitched forward in front of Scarlette, his face a mask of pain and confusion. A snake mutt's thick, black coils appeared from where it had been concealed by the white sand, and it rapidly encircled Till's legs as its jaw clamped around the boy's calf, puncturing the wiry muscle with its iron fangs. Till's tortured screams cut through the air, and Scarlette scrambled away from him, her eyes wide in horror. Till quickly succumbed to the pain, and the snake made short work of his still, yielding body.
The twentieth cannon sounded in the arena.
Bass
Bass stopped short as the booming faded. How many did that leave? Including her, there were four tributes in the arena. Every part of Bass hoped that Athene wasn't one of them.
Bass continued her slow jog along the beach, clutching the rock she had sharpened in her right hand, and searching the tree line for any signs of the remaining tributes. Soon enough, a silvery glint caught her eye, and she slowed to a stop in a small clearing. A parachute lay in the middle of the sand, and Bass allowed herself a moment of hope before she discovered that the small gift carrier was already empty. Next to the torn fabric of the chute however, the handle of a syringe poked out of the sand. Bass picked up the instrument and brushed it off. What had it contained? Was it medicine for a dying tribute? Or supplements for their final hunt? Questions swirled around in Bass's mind, but they came to a screeching halt as a tribute stepped into the clearing with a spear pointed forward.
Athene.
Bass cursed under her breath.
"Bass," called Athene. 'You're alive."
"Obviously," Bass replied, spinning the syringe around in her palm and stopping with the needle pointed forward. "Do you know who else is left? I think there were three that have died so far today."
Athene stabbed the point of her spear into the ground and cocked an eyebrow at Bass's defensive posture.
"You're all business, aren't you? Don't you want to know what I've been up to?" Bass didn't reply. "I killed the girl from Five, I don't know who the other two were though. I was hoping you would know."
Bass shook her head.
"What's that?" Athene asked, pointing at the parachute. "You get something?"
"No," Bass admitted. "I just found it before you got here. It was a syringe." Bass held up the syringe for Athene to see. The girl's eyes narrowed, and Bass widened her stance as Athene's muscles tightened up in response to the knowledge of the sponsor gift.
"Don't worry," Athene said, chuckling slightly at Bass's reaction. "We'll be the last two, that much is clear. Whoever the other two are, we can take them out together, and then we'll see who wins after that. Okay?"
"Sure." Bass eyed Athene's spear warily. If it did come down to them, she would be severely outmatched in weaponry. She needed to find something to fight with, and fast.
"You came from the west?" Athene asked, her voice breaking the uneasy silence. Bass nodded. "We should head toward the beach. We'll probably find someone there."
Athene turned to walk out of the clearing, but she paused when Bass failed to follow.
"We'll be the last two, okay?" Athene's voice was confident and reassuring.
"Okay." Bass forced a tight smile.
Bass followed Athene tentatively, her eyes trained on the girl's shoulder blades. Depending on who was left in the arena, Athene would undoubtedly be more than ready to sever their ties early. Whatever happened though, if Bass died in this arena, it would not be at Athene's hands.
Scarlette
Scarlette slumped against the curved trunk of a tree, her eyes and ears trained on her surroundings as she thought about her next move. There were four tributes left. Three trained fighters, and her. What was her play? The remaining careers probably wouldn't welcome her into their arms, which only left so many options open. She could ally with Kayn, if she found him, and try to fight off Athene and Bass, but the odds of her winning that fight weren't exactly in her favor. She could pretend to ally with Kayn and kill him, hoping that the other two girls would turn on each other, but she would still have to face the survivor of that fight, and the thought of her defeating Kayn and one of the other girls was unlikely. Even if she hid, the ground was shaking more violently every minute; no place would be safe for very long. Logically, there was no end to this fight that ended with Scarlette on top. The other players in the arena were too well equipped for her to deal with. The Victor would be decided between the other three.
Unless a new player was introduced.
Scarlette stood up and stretched her legs, searching the trees for what she knew would be lurking there, watching her every move. A camera. It was a long shot, but it was her only chance. Scarlette sidled closer to the cleverly hidden lens and smiled straight into the camera.
"Hello, friends," she said softly, as if she was sharing a secret. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Julianette Dior, The 49th Hunger Games, LIVE!
"What a treat!" Julianette exclaimed. "If your friends took a break from the Games, get them back now! It seems as though one of our tributes has a word for us before the end of her Games! This is highly unusual, but I love it!" Julianette giggled as the cameras switched off and the crowds were returned to their view of the Games. The public squares that housed the Capitols official viewing screens were jammed full of spectators, the masses tittering and murmuring as the arena groaned and shook. The tension in the air was palpable, and Julianette sighed in pleasure. No matter how many Games she had witnessed, this part never got old. The end. When the Capitolites, all of their trivial pursuits forgotten, sat in wonder, amazement, and horror, waiting for their heroes to either die in shame, or triumph and become the Victor.
The entire city, Julianette included, drew and held a collective breath as the girl began to speak.
Scarlette
"I know we haven't known each other for long," Scarlette began slowly. "But ever since I laid eyes on the Capitol I knew I was home. Every person I met, every sight that I saw, and every kindness you showed me made me realize that the Capitol is where I will find my friends. The Capitol is where I will find my family."
"I never wanted anything more than to be your Victor. I wanted to make you proud. I wanted to make you happy. I wanted to win, not just for me, but so that you wouldn't be disappointed. You have helped so much already, I know it's terrible for me to ask more of you, but you've probably realized what I already have. Without you, I'm not getting out of here. Without you, I am nothing." Scarlette choked on her words in what she hoped was a convincing display of despair, forcing tears to stream down her face.
"Please, I beg you. I don't know how you'll do it, but please, just save me. I've done my best to save myself, but it's not enough. I can't do it. I need you. Bring me home."
Athene and Bass
The two girls barely made it to the tree line.
The ambush itself wasn't entirely unexpected, what surprised Athene was the ferocity of the attack, and Kayn's miraculous healing.
Whatever he got from the sponsors, she could definitely use some.
Athene moved forward with her spear, cautiously poking at Kayn's defense as she tried to read his fighting style. He wasn't showing any signs of fatigue, which was more than she could say for herself, but his makeshift club was longer and heavier than his usual weapons, and Athene could see he was struggling. Not much, but enough to give her an opening here and there.
Athene and Bass slowly pushed Kayn down toward what she had expected to still be the beach, but what was now a cliff that dropped sharply to the ocean.
"We've got you cornered, Nine," Athene hissed. "Give up now, and we'll make it quick." The hollow threat slipped off of her tongue naturally, and hung unanswered in the open air. She was tired, tired of all of this bravado, she just wanted to finish it.
Athene spun her spear and stuck the tip into the sand, chopping down with a vicious kick and flipping the razor sharp edge into the air in one smooth motion. Bass snatched the blade out of the air, dropping her needle and brandishing her new weapon in Kayn's direction.
Kayn took a deep gulping breath.
Athene lunged forward, swinging her staff in a vicious arc toward Kayn's left arm. The blow was blocked, but Bass was able to slip around Kayn's unprotected side and draw his defense. Kayn turned to block Bass's jab and immediately felt the end of Athene's weapon smash into his ribs. Hot breath exploded from his lungs, and Kayn fell to the ground. He swept his club in a blind attempt at a defense, but he felt the same sharp pain again, this time in his shoulder. It came again, this time breaking his cracked ribs. The blows rained down from all angles, and Kayn crumpled in on himself. They were too fast, too hard; he couldn't take it.
His vision blurred, but the blows stopped.
"This is why I should win," Athene groaned wearily, turning to Bass. "Because I'm the strongest. I'm the one who has enough will to live to survive the Games. In fact, I shouldn't even be here!" Athene's voice rose to a scream, and Bass took a step away.
"They should have just declared me the winner from the beginning, instead of putting me through all of this! I deserve all of the Victor's glory, don't I? Why not pull me out now?"
"Athene—
"Don't," Athene snarled. "I know. Just pull it together. We're almost done." She turned back to Kayn, and her eyes widened in shock.
He was on his feet.
"We're not done, Athene," he winced. "Just you."
Holding his club out like a bar, Kayn bull rushed Athene toward the edge of the cliff, sliding onto his knees just as she fell.
A scream ripped out of Athene's throat as she plunged toward the ocean.
The cold slap of the ocean water paralyzed Athene's mind, but her body reacted quickly, pushing frantically at the waves until she burst back into the air. The waves fought her, furiously slamming her exhausted body against the wall of unyielding stone, again and again. Athene cried out, her battered form the picture of pain and fear as she clung to the rock and the waves beat against her. She tried to climb higher, but her hands slipped and left her with deep cuts in her palms. The salt felt like it was everywhere, stinging her hands, choking her lungs, squeezing into her every pore, and permeating every inch of her. Finally, with a mighty heave, Athene pulled herself up onto a tiny ledge, lifting her legs out of the water as the island shuddered and heaved, giving her bone white hands more purchase on the jagged rock. A heavy sob wracked Athene's frame, but she forced it down. She was safe. Eventually, when she got her breath back, she would climb back up. She wasn't done yet.
Then she felt a hand, wet and cold, on the bare skin of her ankle. Athene had just enough time to register the scarred faces of the district Eight tributes before she was dragged back under the unforgiving tide.
Bass
Bass paused as the twenty-first cannon sounded, barely audible behind the rumbling of the collapsing arena. Athene was finally dead. Bass couldn't help but realize the tangible difference in the whole arena now that the girl from Two was gone; it seemed more hopeful, more possible to overcome.
Bass's shoulders relaxed as she turned to Kayn. The boy was lying face up on the sand, his eyes unfocused as he struggled to breathe. His labored and shallow breath, and the silent tears carving clean paths through the dirt caked on his face made Bass hesitate as she stepped forward. He deserved better than this.
They all did.
Bass knelt down quickly, pushed aside Kayn's feeble attempt at a defense, and slit his throat. It seemed too quick, the warm blood coating her hand in moments, but Bass barely had time to stand up before the twenty-second cannon sounded.
Twenty-two down, Bass thought, only one more to go.
Scarlette
Scarlette turned in circles, her mind lost in the realm of possibilities. Who was dead? She had no idea. All she knew was that there was one other tribute on the island, and whoever it was would be doing everything in their power to hunt her down and kill her. What would happen next? She had a theory, and if she was correct, her circumstances were about to improve dramatically.
The ground buckled, throwing Scarlette off balance and tossing her to the sand. Just as she moved to climb back to her feet, a burst of loud cursing was carried on a gust of wind coming from the beach. The voice belonged to a girl; that ruled out Kayn as the last tribute. Scarlette scrambled out of the pit and searched between the swaying palm trees until she caught sight of her target. The long wave of white hair was unmistakable in the muddied terrain; it was Bass.
Scarlette screamed, forcing hysteria into every inch of her body until she was visibly shaking. Bass heard the noise, and zeroed in on its source. Bass tore through the jungle and Scarlette turned on her heel, sprinting away from her opponent. The hunt was on.
Scarlette ran as fast as she could while still maintaining sight of Bass. The girl was fit, but she was obviously exhausted, and was struggling to keep up with Scarlette's long-legged strides. Bass wouldn't have to worry for long though, Scarlette smiled, help would be here in no time, she was sure of that.
Bass
Bass forced breath down into her lungs and poured her energy into her legs. Scarlette was fast, no doubt driven by the mad fear she had exhibited earlier, but Bass would catch up with her, and then the Games would be over. Bass gripped the spearhead given to her by Athene and charged forward, bursting over a ledge and catching sight of Scarlette again. She was getting closer.
After a few minutes Scarlette made a turn toward the beach, and Bass heaved a sigh of relief. There was no cover next to the cliffs, and unlike Scarlette, Bass was used to running on the sand. Bass slowed her pace. This was it.
When Bass finally caught up to Scarlette, the tall girl was standing on the edge of the cliff, what was left of her red hair blowing violently in the wind. For the first time, Bass noticed the white scars tracing their way up Scarlette's body.
"What happened to you?" Bass asked, genuinely shocked. Hadn't Scarlette just been hiding out all this time?
"Oh this?" Scarlette lifted up her arms as if she was just noticing the scars herself. "I had a little run in with Eleven that didn't end so well."
"I'm sorry," said Bass. "I've had a few encounters that I'd like to erase myself." Bass didn't want to talk, she wanted to get it over with, but Scarlette was wearing an easy, confident smile, and it made Bass uncomfortable. Did she know something that Bass didn't?
"Well, Bass, it's been a pleasure," Scarlette began, her smile slipping. "You're a good swimmer, right?"
Bass began to answer, but before she could, Scarlette Blake dove off of the edge of the island and plunged into the water below.
Scarlette
Scarlette relished the feeling of the cool water sliding over her body as she kicked quickly back to the surface. Her eyes swept the top cliff as her feet paddled her further out into the sea. Bass was from District Four, so Scarlette taking the battle to the water would be too good to be true. This would Bass's best chance at victory. Bass had to follow. So where was she? Just as she thought Bass was going to leave her alone, the other girl jumped into the air, barely making a splash as she sliced into the water below.
Scarlette grinned. Four had made a valiant effort, but she was done for now. The sea, the symbol of District Four's pride, was about to become their latest tribute's grave.
Bass
Bass swam forward, her mind scrambling as she aimed her body at Scarlette. What was the girl thinking? Had she tried to kill herself, and somehow failed? Whatever her reason for leaving the island had been, it was a poor decision. Bass had been trained to fight in the water with as much deadly grace as she had on land, and now there was nothing between her and her prey. Just as Bass drew near enough to Scarlette to make for one last lunge, the girl submerged, sinking quickly beneath the waves. Bass dove as well, holding her blade close to her body as she opened her eyes and searched the clear blue water for Scarlette. The blood drained from Bass's face.
Scarlette was gone, and dozens of the shabriri swam in lazy circles underneath the surface of the water, red hair streaming behind them as they shared smirks and knowing glances. Scarlette. They all looked like Scarlette. Bass choked.
The creatures all turned as one and pushed forward, traveling through the salty water at a terrifying speed. Bass flew up into the air, caught one last breath, and turned to meet them. Bass's blade flashed through the water, and soon clouds of the shabriri's dark, inky blood surrounded her. Their cold skin and long nails scratched at every inch of Bass's exposed skin, pulling her deeper down into the ocean. They were dying, but so was she. With every ounce of strength she had left, Bass pushed deeper into the water, escaping the grasp of the confused mutts and kicking out away from the carnage she left behind. She needed air, and she needed it now. Bass paddled furiously, black spots swimming in her vision, but she couldn't do it. Bass stopped.
Bass looked around, and there, in the quietness of the sea, it was as if time stopped. Her hair floated around her, and she found a kind of peace. The shabriri weren't following her, and Bass knew why. The surface was too far away. She was going to die, and there was peace in that. She didn't have to worry anymore. She didn't have to be afraid of her father, she didn't have to be afraid of looking Caspian's family in the eye, or seeing the broken figure of his girlfriend back in District Four. She didn't have to worry about the hopes and dreams of those back in her district. None of it mattered anymore. Bass smiled. This was it. This was the truth that Aquanetta had learned before she killed herself, the truth that had given her the courage to escape the Games. Bass had been confused when she heard the news about her friend's suicide, but now it made sense. Aquanetta had been here, where Bass was, in the arms of the sea, and she had decided that the pressures of the life before her were far greater than the pressure of the sea. She decided to die.
"Bass, focus. You're better than this." Caspian's quiet voice echoed in Bass's mind. "We all want you back. Everyone wants you to win."
Bass kicked her feet as images of the other tributes flooded her mind.
Rhia Davis, standing tall and proud in front of the district that never saw the scars the Games had already given her.
Bliss Sparks, his easy smile lighting up the crowd as he was paraded through the capitol, giving them what they wanted because it was all that he had.
Athene Harbrick, changing the gravity of every room that she walked into, even as she tried to hide the bruises that covered her body.
Isis Carlisle, never wavering as she sat in front of all of Panem and declared her direct defiance of the rules of the Games.
Slater O'Brien, his wavering eyes betraying that he doubted his own ability and worth, even though he was the only one.
And everywhere, among all the tributes' faces, was Caspian. Caspian laughing so hard that he fell out of his chair on the train. Caspian puffing out his chest and imitating Scarlette's ridiculous seduction. Caspian speaking eloquently to a crowd full of admirers about his love for one girl. Caspian, even while he was wounded and feeling his life ebb away, calling out to encourage Bass as she fought both Kayn and herself.
"We all want you back," he had said. "Everyone wants you to win."
Bass took one last stroke and burst into the air, filling her lungs with oxygen. If Caspian wanted her to win, she would win.
Victory
Scarlette was back at the island, climbing up the edge of the cliff back toward dry land. Bass had gone down fighting, but she had been down for too long, the cannon would sound any time now. A laugh escaped her throat, and she paused her climb to look up at the sky.
"I did it!" she yelled. "I won!" Her laughter boomed out into the air. "I won!"
Scarlette threw herself up onto the sand and climbed to her feet. Her body shook with adrenaline, and she laughed again. She was going back. The Capitol had saved her, and would continue to save her for the rest of her life. She would sit in the lap of luxury, and have security and wealth of her own. She wouldn't have to rely on anyone, or be responsible for anyone ever again. It was just her, Scarlette Blake, and endless possibilities.
Scarlette didn't hear the footsteps approaching her from behind. She didn't hear the end of a broken spear rise into the air behind her.
"I am so tired of killing you," Bass hissed through gritted teeth.
Scarlette screamed, but the blade bit into her skin and left her breathless.
The last cannon sounded in the arena.
"Ladies and gentleman, the Victor of the 49th annual Hunger Games, Bass Shores!"
Bass was swept into the air by a hovercraft before she had time to think, and the cameras turned off just as the slow rumble of the crumbling arena turned into the shriek of metal, and the last island sank into the sea.
A/N
Oh my. If there's anyone still out there, here it is. The culmination of over a year's work. The end of We All Fall Down. It's been a great ride! This is the first time I have ever finished a writing project of this magnitude, so thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you to everyone who encouraged me by showing interest, and keeping me motivated. This is a big deal to me!
P.S. I'm toying with the idea of an epilogue, so let me know what you think!
(For possibly the last time) Thank you for YOUR time,
-IVV