(A/N): Here we are back with our Tuesday update! We're finishing out the first day of the Games, brought to you by the lovely and talented Miran Anders, who is writing Helena Wayne again.

Thanks to all of our writers who reviewed this and previous chapters. We love to hear what you think as the story progresses ... and to see that emotional attachment that makes this story worthwhile!


Chapter Fifty-Two - Swamp Thang

Games Day One – Afternoon

Helena Wayne of District 7

Written by Miran Anders


"Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception."

-Carl Sagan


"Holy Crap."

Helena Wayne froze in the ankle-deep water and stared at the oddly-defined squiggle of dark gray mud on the shoreline. Slowly, as she watched, it morphed into a mottled snake more than a yard long. She took a few deep breaths, still frozen, and waited to see if it would fade in the same way the rest of the tracker jacker hallucinations had. Slinging her crossbow around, she aimed at it — and gave up trying when the point of her bolt continued to trace little symbols of infinity, no matter how she tried to steady it.

The venom was still in her system, clearly, and just thinking about the damn wasps made pain shoot up her leg from ankle to knee, tendriling in stinging lines beyond the original strikes, and up as far as her hip. And that, of course, was just the physical pain.


Having had watched last year's Games, and knowing Logan, it didn't take long for her to figure out the riddle that presented itself before they were set loose in the arena. As soon as she realized what the answer was, she tried to remember what he had done — besides hallucinating badly enough to kill one of his allies. A poultice of some kind of plant helped, but in the heat of the countdown, she couldn't remember what it would be. "Damn it, damn it, damn it," she whispered through gritted teeth as the seconds ticked off.

Time telescoped, the klaxon sounded, and before she realized she was doing it, she was heading toward the Tesseract — even though she could hear it buzzing fifty yards away.

That didn't matter, though — she saw a crossbow in there.

It has to be mine.

Her brain hotwired commands to her legs without leaving time for deliberation with common sense, and she was suddenly running like a gazelle, leaping gracefully, heading straight into trouble.

Helena slipped and wove and splashed toward the glowing cube, keeping close to the hummocky areas. Somehow, miraculously, she got as far as the bow without being stung. She couldn't believe her luck and actually laughed as she dropped to one knee to lift the beautifully crafted weapon.

And that was when she felt the stabbing pain.

Helena cried out in spite of herself. Seriously? I knelt on the damn things?

Her arm dropped, but her fingers around the bow were locked tight. As she stood and jerked away from the pain, she saw a hunting knife in a sheath sticking out of an open box and snatched that up as well. Glancing into the box, she saw some smaller bags and grabbed two on principle, not knowing what was in them. Five seconds was probably too long to be in here. Time to run like Hel.

Getting at least a little distance between herself and the glowing cube, Helena dropped to her other knee, lifted her pant leg, and winced at the angry welts. Using the edge of the knife, she managed to scrape across the stingers and get all three out. It's a start. Now what the hell were those plants? And more importantly, what did they look like?

Two of the stings were on her shinbone close to her ankle, and one caught her calf muscle, which hurt like she'd been hit with a nail gun. She stuffed the mystery bags in a pocket, slung the bow and the quiver of bolts over her shoulder, and shuffled into a limping run before the wasps spread the word that she'd been stung — or got around to her, anyway. From the yells all around the Tesseract, they had quite a list to get to already.

Logan had explained during one of their post-training chats that the tracker jackers released a pheromone when they stung that called the rest of the swarm in on the kill. But luck appeared to be on her side again — at least until her leg gave out and she stumbled in the water. Catching her breath, she looked around, just in time to see, some distance away, the strange boy from Eight towering viciously over the kid the stylists had turned green. That's one of Dick's kids, isn't it? Gar, she remembered vaguely. He doesn't have a chance against Hamill. She shook her head and tried to catch her breath. Some still rational part of her mind registered that barely a minute and a half had passed since the klaxon sounded.

Damn it. Dick said he was a good kid, too — Dick. Where's Dick? She looked around wildly but only saw wobbling fights around her and heard oddly modulated screams. Great. Not even out of ground zero and I'm already hallu- she ducked to the ground as she heard a particularly loud buzz and saw a tracker two feet across speed by, turning to look at her with dripping fangs as it passed. That can't be right...crap, if this is what it's like with only a couple stings… Her mind turned once more to her mentor, and she shook her head.

All around the Tesseract, incredibly rapid life and death struggles were going on. She looked around again, blinking to focus clearly, and froze when she finally glimpsed her brother. Saw him drop down next to Gar's body, then shake his head, more anger in his face than she had ever known. Helena blinked and opened her mouth to call his name, but he vanished from her view as he bent quickly to scoop up one of the girls, reappearing a moment later as he carried her out of harm's way. Or at least away from Jack Hamill, which is the same thing. Already taking care of other people, of course. Be careful out there, brother.

A wave of pain hit her with a gasp, and through angry tears, she thought she saw Harley standing behind Jack, who was laughing like a demon. She's got to see he would do that to her -

Helena wanted to get over to them, to take out Hamill right then and there — but everything seemed to be happening in fast and slow motion simultaneously. She took a few limping steps in their direction, heard a noise behind her, and spun around dizzily. It was Jade — the girl from Ten — picking up a knife. Helena slapped her side pocket. My knife! It had slipped away when she fell.

They fought viciously until Helena managed to knock her down and get far enough back to raise her crossbow once more — which was when she saw the creature.

The hideous, monstrously giant form of Jezebel Jet rose from the swamp a distance behind Jade, fangs dripping and claws raised, her hair hanging in moldy clumps like the Spanish moss all around them. She smelled like rotting vegetation and dead fish, and Helena gagged at the stink. Helena's eyes went wide as the apparition snarled at her, screaming, spittle flying from her flabby lips in slimy streams. She appeared to get closer or just larger, Helena couldn't tell which.

You useless little nobody! How dare you try to come between your father and me? You're nothing! Nothing! Once you're dead, he's mine!

Helena jerked back as if she'd been struck. The crossbow went off as she clenched her fist, and the next thing she knew, Jade was spinning her around and pounding a fist into her stomach.

Helena had to give the girl from Ten credit; she didn't really remember much for a while after that. She came to with a sore gut and an aching leg, finding herself not terribly far from where she started.

"Great." She stretched her jaw carefully, muzzily rose to her feet, and checked her pockets. Luckily, she had fallen from the waist up onto what passed for dry ground in the swamp, or she'd be dead by now.

She still had the crossbow and quiver, but evidently, Jade had ended up with the knife. Damn it. That would have been handy. But no use crying over spilled milk. I've got to get moving. The marshy isle where the Tesseract glowed ominously was no place to stay, especially since she could still hear subdued, angry buzzing coming from that direction.

God, I could use some water. She looked around and laughed, quietly but ruefully. Okay, so I could use some drinking water. But standing out here in the open probably isn't the best way to go. She could practically hear Logan yelling at her from wherever he was watching. "Right. Right. Shelter. High. Right. I know." She thought of Groot sitting near him, with that look of solemn concern on his face. Right. What I need right now is a good tree to climb.


Which brought her, eventually, to this muddy bank with its squiggly mud. She had been planning to climb the cypress growing here, but there was still the small problem of the line in the mud — that actually appeared to be hissing at her now. Helena took half a step forward, and the line of mud curled into a spiral, one yellow end vibrating. She blinked at it a few times, and shook her head hard to see if the vision changed. All that accomplished was making her head hurt, and evidently the snake didn't care for it either, as it coiled tighter and lifted its head toward her ominously.

Okay. We're going to assume you're not mud, then. She tried to remember the reptiles at the fauna training station. Cottonmouth? Yes, probably. Under the 'will kill you' sign. Stupid way to die after surviving the bloodbath, Hel. Can't have Dick remember you as being stupid as Hel, not after you were quizzing each other on them. The thought of her brother brought some clarity, and she nodded.

Helena backed up slowly, trying to keep one eye on the snake as she stepped back into the water. As she got farther away, the reptile seemed to calm somewhat, so she moved a bit faster until her foot slipped off an edge and she splashed abruptly into water over her chest.

"Damn it!"

She yelled, then buckled her knees and dropped deeper into the water, worrying that someone might have heard. When a few minutes passed and she heard nothing, she stayed low and paddled farther out, looking for a safe place to huddle for the night. It was well into the afternoon now, and being out after dark seemed like an incredibly bad idea. Come on, Hel. You can think clearly. You can do this. It was then that she saw the stand of three huge cypress trees, taller than the one the snake claimed, draped with more moss. The huge old center trunk seemed more dead than alive, but was so intertwined with the others that it hinted at easy climbing, once she got past the broadly skirted bottom. She headed in that direction, and the water quickly became shallow again. Scanning carefully for snakes — or other cranky tenants — Helena used her rock climbing skills to mount the knees of the trees. Then, after pausing for breath, she made her way up the smooth trunk until it spread out, using low-hanging branches heavy with moss to help her. Once she got to real branches, it was just a matter of choosing her spot. Climbing slowly, she worked her way up, coming to a section where there the oldest trunk had broken to a flattish top, and might once have been a nest for some bird.

"Holy…big bird," she said, in a tone that sounded very much like her brother. The platform of the nest was a good eight feet across and clearly had been built up several times. Luckily, there was no fresh material in it, which must have meant that nesting season was not happening at the moment. Helena pulled herself over the edge, testing the strength of the nest before letting go of supporting branches. It was slightly cupped and seemed sturdy. Eagle, most likely. Hopefully they won't mind.

"Okay. So, if no one is going to fly in and tear me out of here… this could work." She unslung her bow and quiver and proceeded to efficiently check through her pockets.

The small bags that she had grabbed from the Tesseract were each revealed to contain a small plastic bottle of pills wrapped in a sheet of plastic. Helena frowned at that for a while. What the hell…are they offering a suicide out? She sniffed one of the pills and gingerly touched it with a wet finger before sniffing it again and making a face. Chlorine? Yuck. Yeah, that might work for suicide, but it would sure be ugly. She frowned for a few moments before her eyes widened.

Oh, wait… Chlorine something. Chlorine dioxide. Right. I remember. She nodded and gave a thumbs-up to her mentor, wherever he was. I hope starting to be able to remember things means this stupid venom is wearing off. Then she examined the plastic sheet the little bottle was wrapped in again and found that the material unfolded into a good two-liter-sized bag with a drinking nozzle. Perfect. Now I just need some… She looked down at the water all around. Yeah. Maybe a little less muddy, okay?

Deciding her nest was as safe a base as any, she stashed her bow and quiver and climbed down the tree again, finding an easier path was on the opposite side of the trunks. Of course, I could do a Grayson and just somersault out of the nest into the water... probably wouldn't stick the landing as well as he would. She smiled in spite of her situation and made her way down.

Helena hiked stealthily until she found a smaller stream feeding the larger waterway of the swampy river. A tiny taste to make sure it wasn't saltwater pleased her enormously, and she filled both of the bags. Then, she took one of the pills from the bottle for each bag and dropped them in. In less than an hour, she would have potable water. Potable. Meaning it won't kill me. Probably would taste a lot better with lemon and a few cubes, but I suppose not having any deadly bacteria will have to do. She grinned to herself as she sealed the bags and walked back to her nest.

As Helena worked her way around to the easier climbing point, a flattened dome rising in the water made her heart stop. She froze as a roughly ridged shape, coated in algae and more than two feet across, slowly surfaced from the swamp. Adrenaline squirted in her abdomen as she saw a primitive-looking head lift from the water and a cruelly-beaked mouth open. Holy crap.

The creature seemed to regard her distractedly, then sank once more into the swamp. Helena realized she had somehow clambered up onto one of the lumpy knees of her cypress and was breathing hard. What the hell was that? That shell wait! Alligator snapping turtle. Yes. Holy crap. I knew they got big, but come on. She stayed where she was for a few minutes, making sure that the turtle was well on his way and letting her heartbeat settle down. At least I know this is all fresh water here, then. They don't live in salt. She nodded thoughtfully, weighing the bags in her hands. Okay. How, Hel, are you planning to get this water up there?

A few minutes of muddled thinking finally got her to a point where she could tie her lightweight jacket into a kind of sling for the water bags while she climbed. Dusk was starting to fall, and she realized that the experiences of the day, not to mention the venom working its way out of her system, was leaving her exhausted. Tomorrow, I'll have to hunt up some food. She barely got up to the eagle's nest before curling up and falling into a dark and dreamless sleep, her crossbow clutched tightly in her hand.


The lights woke her abruptly.

Glaring blue-white lights streamed and flickered through the trees in the swamp, electrifying the water as well as the sky. It isn't fair, thought Helena. It's almost beautiful. A sudden flash like a sheet of lightning stole her night-vision, and she clung more tightly to her bow. Then, in the ringing silence and total purple-tinged blackness, a pause.

Helena swallowed hard. Oh. This is it. The beginning of the end. Who lived through the day, and who died. The fanfare opening of the Marvel anthem started to play, full of pomp and self-importance. I've always hated this music. Now I suppose I'll hate it for the rest of my life, however long that turns out to be.

She realized she would have to climb higher up to get a clear view of the sky, which was largely hidden by the moss surrounding her nest. The younger cypress trees on either side had grown higher than her perch and canopied her view. I don't know if I even want to watch. What if Dick is one of them? What if

As she stood and grasped a branch, her gaze dropped down through an opening in the canopy to the surface of the swamp, and she gasped. Evidently, the Capitol had figured for this eventuality as well. Heaven forbid we don't see who every single sacrificial lamb is.

Shimmering on the dark water was the Marvel emblem. Helena looked around suspiciously, suddenly picturing every other tribute close enough to see what she was seeing. Then, she closed her eyes hard for a moment, trying to get her natural vision back after the bright flashing lights, and looked out in another direction. From her curtained safety, she could see dim glowing blue in other areas, farther away. Oh, great. So we're all getting painted with giant blue bulls-eyes. She shook her head and thought again. No. Think, Hel. They must just be doing it all over the place, probably use the same kind of set up as the hidden cameras everywhere, possibly using drones. Showing us where everyone is by only projecting where tributes are hiding would end their fun too soon.

Her expression hardened as she looked back at the shimmering emblem. They wouldn't be passing out advantages like that yet, anyway.

The music swelled again, the ripples on the water stilled, and the emblem disappeared. Slowly fading into clarity was a face. Helena held her breath. The only person she saw die was the kid from Ten. Other than him... could be anyone…

Slade Wilson

The name appeared just the barest moment after the face became clear, and beneath it,

District One

Helena swore under her breath. This was it. It was real. One of them was dead and was now being broadcast like some kind of advertisement for the Capitol, for Marvel, for Thanos. Bastards. I swear, if I get through this… Anger stung in her eyes as the boy's face faded, and the music swelled once more. A carefully timed pause, and another faded into view.

Cisco Ramon

District Three

Her jaw clenched, and she found herself leaning forward, nearly too far for the branch she was holding. With an act of will, she settled herself more upright, watching. Right, they're doing this in district order. If Dick is... if Dick is going to be projected, it's going to be before the boy from Ten.

The music at this point had reached a veritable frenzy of excitement. She thought she might actually throw up before another face came into focus.

Garfield Mark Logan

District Ten

The sound that came out of her at that moment startled Helena. It was a sob — she'd like to believe it was a cry of relief. Angrily, she wiped her sleeve over her face, staring hard at the lights in the water. Sorry, Gar. You never even had a chance. Dick, I know you said he was a good kid... Be strong, brother. You can't save them all. Her index finger tapped automatically on a hand that wasn't there.

Trembling with anger and something more, she waited for what could be next — but it was only the Marvel emblem. Helena realized, still trembling, that she was aiming her bow at the projection and barely stopped herself from shooting pointlessly at the image.

The lights faded slowly away, and a faint breeze rippled the water.

Oh, that must have made great television, she thought bitterly. Just marvelous. And I wonder how many of the younger kids are onscreen crying themselves to sleep right now if they can sleep at all. That led to the thought of the families who were looking at screens from their homes, filled with shock and horror… and she knew they, too, were being captured on video for the enjoyment and edification of the masses. Damn them. Damn self-serving Capitol bastards!

She opened the nozzle on the water bottle and took a swig, warm and chemical. Great. That's pretty disgusting. But her mouth and body welcomed it as if it were a fine wine, and she had to stop herself from drinking too much too quickly.

As her eyes adjusted to the night once more, she looked up. Between the branches of the ancient cypress trees, she could see a sprinkling of stars, and a waxing moon that glowed like the cup of an alabaster chalice. She blinked at it and took a few deep breaths, feeling the strength returning to her heart.

They'll pay. They'll all pay. Every single one of the Capitol bastards. Shifting her weight carefully, she sat down in the center of the nest, making sure her bow was close. I don't care if I have to come back and haunt them after this, they'll pay.

But suddenly, part of her was hoping otherwise. Part of her felt so much anger, so much resentment, that she wanted to get to the end of this charade. She wanted to walk out of the arena, alive. And she wanted to be the one to put a bolt right between Thanos' eyes. And she was suddenly quite sure that there was someone who felt exactly the same way. She swallowed hard and looked out into the darkness, speaking quietly but clearly.

"Wait for me, Dad. We'll do this together."

They'll pay. And all the innocents will have justice.


24. Garfield Logan, District Ten Male: Killed by Jack Hamill

23. Francisco Ramon, District Three Male: Killed by Harvey Dent

22. Slade Wilson, District One Male: Killed by Jonathan Crane