The fourth day
-Kelwyn Murdock, 18, District 4-
It had been a long night keeping watch, and Kelwyn just felt so incredibly heavy and tired. Sure, it was pretty nice to have his District partner awake with him, but Willie was… Hard to pin down. She seemed on the surface like an incredibly open book, that always spoke the complete truth about things and was stubborn as a bull. And while some of those things were definitely true, Willie was truly far from an open book. She had a way of making everyone feel like they knew her whole story, when really they only knew the surface: if that was true.
Kelwyn doesn't blame Willie for being closed off in the Games. After all, both of them knew where they were, and both of them volunteered for this. They were nice, but only as nice as they had to be. Which meant they were strictly polite and business-like. That had to be a good thing going for Kelwyn, right?
Seemed like only one thing: if that: out of… God, so many factors that were stacked against him. Why the hell did he even volunteer for this? He knew he couldn't do it all along, and now he was going to lose his life for it, without even being able to reconcile with Lyle… God, what had he done?! What kind of mistake did he make that he had to cost his life for?
The weight of his worries took all of Kelwyn's energy away from him. It was like he hadn't slept a wink: which he hadn't: but he didn't get to just go lay in bed. He didn't have a choice. And yet, he felt like his entire body was made of lead, his brain a melted puddle. He needed a break.
You don't get a break in the Games you piece of shit, he thought. Kelwyn, uh, he didn't mind thoughts like this… Well, sure, they were kind of scary as he was having them, but he was just trying to keep himself in shape, and sometimes tough love was the only way to do that. At least, the only way he knew of. And it was pretty effective at getting him moving, usually… Some of the time. There was nothing wrong with it. That would mean that something was wrong with him… And right now, Kelwyn didn't have the time to worry about that. Hell, what was he doing thinking like this right now!? Just stop. But it wasn't as easy as just stopping. He had absolutely no energy left…
Get it together Kelwyn. Get some food and water and you'll be ready to keep moving.
God he hoped that would be true. But part of him knows that it won't be.
"We should wake the others," Willie said, her voice set in a decisive tone that meant that Kelwyn couldn't convince her otherwise. I'm not nearly that headstrong, he thought. But should I be? There was no way to know for sure what he should be.
The scariest thing about victory was that there was no one divisive way to win. Every Victor, every Arena, every group of tributes was different. What worked for Eliza wasn't the same as what worked for, say, Pluto. Everyone had their own Victor story. And Kelwyn was terrified. Anybody could win at any time, especially in an Arena like this one. That meant that there were so many mistakes. And something that wasn't a mistake for Scarlett could be a mistake for Kelwyn in different circumstances. There wasn't a rulebook of how to win the Games. He could lose at any moment. And then what? Leaving his family behind, not fulfilling his promises, failing Brizo! All repulsive thoughts to Kelwyn that just made him want to cry…
Don't cry here and now. That won't do anything for you. It took all of the little energy he had left to keep the tears behind his eyes, swallow the painful lump in his throat back down, and put away the fear. In its place, it left a tingling numbness. Perhaps better than nothing…
Willie didn't even wait for a response from him before she was shaking the District One tributes awake. Celestia and Merc were bleary-eyed and sitting up when reality came back into Kelwyn's focus. Nobody even looked his way.
Did they hate him? It was rare to see a Career alliance where nobody clashed with anybody else. In fact, it's the reason for many of the outer District Victories. But this pack seemed so… Secure. It seemed that nobody was out to get anyone. But what if that meant that all of them were secretly out to get him behind his back? After all, only one would win, and they all wanted it to be them. Kelwyn wanted to win so badly… But maybe it was pointless. Maybe everyone was going to team up on him any second now, and then he would be dead just like that…
I don't want to hurt anyone so soon, or team up on them. My allies are nice, surely they understand… He glanced at them all. The honesty in their expression. The determined, loyal look in their eyes… They were going to keep the pact, he was sure…
But what if they didn't like him? He talked a lot. What if he said something that made someone annoyed, or even uncomfortable?
Kelwyn felt a presence beside him and glanced over. Celestia didn't say a word, just sat beside him silently. Kelwyn couldn't know exactly why she did it, but it made him feel immensely calmer to have someone close to him. Especially someone that he had become so fond of.
Fondness isn't going to get you anywhere you damn masochist… Kelwyn didn't want to think about it.
A gentle bump on the shoulder brought Kelwyn back to the present again. He glanced over at Celestia, who held out the jar of peanut butter that they were all fingering (as disgusting as that euphemism was, once Willie said it they couldn't call it anything else without someone piping in about it) for something resembling breakfast.
"Thanks," he said to Celestia. "For… More than just that." He wanted to be sure she knew how he appreciated the gesture. She didn't seem to read between the lines very well, which he was fine with: he was used to laying it out exactly as it was so this was no issue.
"Sure," she said, holding back a yawn.
"Our good record is going to continue," Willie said. "I can feel it. By the end of today, this carpet's gonna be soaking with blood!"
The thought of that made Kelwyn's stomach turn. He preferred quick kills to suffering. If he would go, he would like to go quickly. Just the thought made his eyes sting again, and he had to pull it back together. How was he going to make it today?
"Everyone ready?" Willie asked, licking her fingers clean. Should I be leading the Career pack like she is? Would that give me a better shot at victory, or with sponsors…?
Kelwyn honestly didn't feel ready. Just the thought of getting up made him exhausted… Let alone another day of walking with no breaks at all…
"Damn, woman, we just woke up," Celestia said. "Give me a moment."
Willie sighed. "Yeah, well I've been up all night and I'm ready to go."
"Just a moment," Celestia said, her tone harsh enough for Willie to concede. Merc opened a thermos which was passed around. Kelwyn was thankful for the extra buffer. His entire body felt so heavy and he just had no idea how he was possibly going to survive another day. But this time, he literally couldn't be sure he would even survive. The fear froze up all of his limbs. Why was he like this today!? This wasn't what he wanted. All he wanted was to get a grip, and he just couldn't! How helpless…
Suddenly, Willie's eyes left the two that were drinking and fixated on something else.
"Wait a minute," she said, getting up and walking over to the bar they'd camped out for the night next to. "This wasn't here yesterday."
Kelwyn looked up, and to his surprise, there sat an unmarked bottle filled with clear liquid. Willie squinted. "Drink me," she said. Probably reading a note with the bottle. "Huh?"
"I don't trust that," Celestia said. "Not for a second."
"It's probably a trap," Mercury said. Kelwyn nodded with agreement. This Arena seemed to be full of them.
"Why would they put this here for us to find?" she countered. "they surely wouldn't want to kill off their Careers in a day. And it wasn't here when we arrived. They want us to find it."
Willie picked up the bottle. Now, Kelwyn could understand drinking it out of desperation, but they had food and water. There was really no point.
"Let's leave it be," Kelwyn said, immediately feeling cautious. "Some other tribute will find it."
Willie had already taken the cork off and was smelling it. "They want us to strengthen up," she said. Was she really considering…?
"What does it smell like?" Mercury asked, his suspicion now fading into curiosity as he stood up to take a look into the bottle.
"It smells… Sweet, but fiery."
"If it's fiery or painful to smell, that's a sure sign that it's not good for you," Celestia said, crossing her arms. But Willie had that look on her face.
"Fuck it. What are they going to do?" She took a sip. Her eyes lit up. "Oh. I know what this is." To Kelwyn's horror, Willie downed the rest of the bottle.
"What is it?" Celestia asked, her eyebrow crinkled with suspicion.
"It's an energy drink that's so rare I've only had it once in my life."
Kelwyn had no idea what she was talking about, but then again, they grew up in totally different parts of the District. What did he know?
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Willie smirked. "I guess I should have given it to you guys, you all look rough."
"We're ready to go now," Merc said, only sounding slightly peeved at the jab. Kelwyn certainly didn't feel ready, but he had to act ready. He had no choice.
"Yes." Celestia packed up the thermos and zipped up her backpack.
"Great!" Willie smiled. Kelwyn could see the manic energy building up in her veins.
"Let's get on that elevator and head downstairs!" She sprinted to the elevator and pressed the button. Kelwyn used all of his strength to stand. He was glad that she was pumped, because he was the opposite.
Either way, he felt sorry for whatever tributes they were about to run into on the third floor…
~.~.
-Cerulean Elpharae, 16, District 7-
He'd barely slept since the attack. The attack that he had no idea about until he woke up to the smell of blood and vomit on the floor. It was a wretched thing to wake up to, the tear stains on Owen's face, the stitches that were crudely used to close up the wound… Knowing that he'd completely slept through it. Didn't even stir… And if he could sleep through something like that, what the hell else could he sleep through!?
At least the night vision goggles made keeping watch easier. It put Cerulean at ease knowing that only one of his senses was gone, not two. He thought it made it easier for Lonan and Owen to sleep too, which Ceru was glad about. It seemed like they were going somewhere. They'd already gotten a sponsor, which was reassuring. And… Well, they had plenty of first aid. That was probably a plus.
Being in a trio made this all so much more complicated for Ceru. When it was just him and Lonan, it was easy to follow conversations and strategic planning. With the addition of Owen, the alliance became far safer and more marketable to the crowds. However, it was so hard to follow any conversations, let alone be able to pipe in as an equal contributor… Usually one of them would realize it and slow down, but the truth was that it was a hearing world that Cerulean lived in. This would never change, and the only thing he could do was live in this hearing world to the best of his ability.
He didn't blame his allies, really he didn't. They didn't grow up hyper-aware of the experience of a deaf person. They didn't know better. They simply didn't understand. And they were obviously pretty close, based off of how they interacted with each other. There was some other string connecting them that caused Lonan to grow fond of him, and vice versa. It wasn't that Ceru was hurt that he didn't belong… He was pretty used to it at this point. And Owen certainly proved that he was an asset to the group, making their first and only kill, hitting Rammie and getting the Career's supplies… At least Ceru was glad about that. But if worse got to worst, who could he trust? He was confident that Lonan and Owen were great sunny skies allies: they kept good watch, they were kind, they were friendly, and Ceru felt safe around them. But when storm clouds came and the going got tough would they stick together? It was the Hunger Games so… Probably not.
He just had to continue to be realistic about his place and his situation here. If he did that, he would be able to react quickly when the time came. Hopefully it would be a while before that happened.
Lonan didn't look well. He was still so pale and his face was beaded with sweat. At least the wound was properly disinfected and stitched. Well, he wasn't awake to see it happen, but he could hope. Owen seemed to know what he was doing when it came to first aid, and wasn't at all squeamish about caretaking. And Lonan was trained for this, so he was also proficient enough to know if something Owen did wasn't right.
Owen coaxed Lonan to sit up and eat some of the jerky they got for breakfast. They were talking, but Ceru couldn't get what they were saying: only a few words here and there. Lonan was mumbling, probably because he didn't feel well, and Owen's back was to Cerulean.
He let out a small sigh. He had become pretty numb to not knowing what was going on because such was the way of life. It wasn't anything new to him, especially being in a trio of best friends back home. But it was still slightly off-putting to know that technically, these guys are his competition, and he had this disadvantage against them. And it would affect him socially as well as in the heat of the battle. Deafness sucked sometimes. Ceru was devoted to staying positive about it, but no matter how much he tried to pretend it didn't, it just sucked.
Thank God the videos at the beginning of the Games had captions… Reading lips was far harder on a screen, with distracting colors, light, and movements that drove him away from the task at hand. He would have certainly been completely lost without them. He just hoped that it would continue for other announcements. He couldn't even hear when the anthem started, he could only see the faces in the sky that signaled it was "sunset." Thankfully, Lonan or Owen usually told him, but they wouldn't be around forever if he wanted to win….
Ceru came over to the others with a deep breath. It was so exhausting to constantly be reading lips, having to be focused as he was reading words and still having to watch for the next words. It was a delicate process of stringing together sentences as they were happening. His friends always said how impressed they were with it, but Ceru didn't see it as particularly impressive. For him, it was necessary to live and function in a world where nobody signed and nobody even bothered to teach him how to because it would be pointless.
"How are you feeling?" Ceru asked him, before realizing that Owen was still talking and he'd interrupted him. There was just a look that signaled it to him. After 16 years of seeing it, Cerulean knew when it happened. He felt a blush heat up at his ears. "Sorry for interrupting," he said.
"No problem," Owen said, but then he missed Lonan's answer, looking back at him expectantly.
Lonan seemed to get it, because he said it again. "I'm feeling better, thank you." He gave a smile that looked pained. Ceru didn't need to hear him to know that he really wasn't feeling so much better. He reached up and wiped his brow of sweat, and his hands were shaking a little. Ceru sighed quietly. Lonan was trying his best, but it didn't keep Cerulean from being concerned about him.
Suddenly, the floor under him began to shake with a low rumble. Ceru looked to his allies: their faces were alarmed and in shock as the rumbling slowly came to a stop. He remembered feeling the low vibrations of moving parts yesterday, but that felt different to Ceru than the low rumbling that he just felt. What the hell was that?
Owen was pointing towards… Ceru squinted. The door. The pattern on the door was now a black, stone crest of clubs. "That was a spade before."
Was it? Ceru had no idea.
"How do you remember that?" Lonan asked, squinting at the door. Ceru nodded in agreement with the question.
"I noticed it as we were escaping the bloodbath," he said. Thinking back, Ceru did notice that there were black doors and red doors, but wouldn't have noticed that the door switched because it was black before and is black now. He didn't care about card suits. But Owen did, and that was good for them. Although… He had no idea what the big deal with it was, but obviously something.
Suddenly, Ceru felt the floor vibrating under his hands again, and now Lonan and Owen were looking up again, this time far more alarmed. He didn't hear what happened next, but without a word Owen and Lonan worked together to get him to his feet, so Ceru knew it was time to go, and fast. He got on the other side of Lonan as the group of four tributes appeared. The smallest, the girl from District 4, started running towards them with all their might, the others close behind her.
They had the advantage of slight distance, and the three of them went as fast as they could. After the other night, they really weren't in any position to fight. The three of them threw all of their energy into running, while the other two bore some of Lonan's weight and dragged him along. Lonan soon had it in him to run on his own and they were bolting through the door, Owen still holding onto Lonan's hand.
They made it to the door and Ceru glanced behind him, expecting to see a spear hurtling past him. But instead, he saw the girl from Four kneeling in a pile of vomit on the ground that was still shooting out of her. Her allies were distracted by her, staying by her side and giving the alliance the chance to get to the stairs. Owen and Lonan started up the staircase and Ceru followed them as the strongly vile acidic smell of the scene wafted up to his nose. They got away from that, and suddenly a cannon boomed. What the hell…?
They made it up to the VIP lounge and the three of them collapsed as soon as they got through, all breathing heavily and all holding their chests.
"That was too close for comfort…" Owen said with a frown.
Cerulean couldn't agree more.
~.~.
-Eden Robins, 13, District 11-
The wheels were gorgeous. They were everything Eden could have dreamt of. They were tall and shimmered with gold, with panels of every color you could imagine! Words printed out in big capital letters, colorful lights shining and blinking in a border around the title plate at the top of the wheel that detailed what sorts of items you could win.
It was… Disgusting. Disgusting that the Capitol could possibly think that this was entertainment, to create such a large, beautiful, and flashy building only to stuff kids in it and force them to kill each other. If only she could have witnessed this rich beauty on a fun class trip, or for her eighteenth birthday with her siblings. Not like this.
Eden didn't like what she was doing, and she didn't like that it had to come to this for her. But she also had so much more to offer this world, so she would be damned if it was all going to end here. She couldn't allow this to happen to her family. She couldn't allow herself to be a nameless face, a worn out and unmarked grave… Maybe another thirteen-year-old would be resigned to that fate, but not Eden Robins. And if it meant resigning herself to the lowly role of a dumb, scared idiot child, she would do it. The crowds, she wasn't sure if they knew what she was hiding inside or not. The Capitolites were dumb, they might believe the act that she gave Burton that dull axe by a total dumb mistake. She couldn't even see that it wasn't sharp! As if. It had been hers first, of course she knew the weapon didn't actually work. Whether through an error from the manufacturer or a game from the Capitolites, she didn't know. But his ignorant attempt at fighting back earned her the extra time she needed to make a clean escape.
She knew that it was wrong to leave him behind, but this was the Hunger Games, everything she did would be wrong in some capacity. To win, she had to keep her trauma level down and her guard way high up. She didn't even turn around, not wanting to risk the sight of Burton dying. He really did care for her, and Eden felt terrible that he had to end that way. But ultimately, what she did was not her fault: it was the people that threw them in there. The Capitol, the Careers killed Burton, not Eden. She was only doing what the Capitol was forcing her hand to do. And then, once she was out of here, she could take the next step to ending them forever.
She never knew how to act when there were no other people around. Keeping up the act of always being so scared (especially when she wasn't nearly that upset and traumatized) made her feel worse than she really did feel. And she hadn't gotten any sponsors since getting here, making her wonder if this truly was the right strategy for her.
But, while she thought about it, she would keep her eyes wide and her lip quivering. That had already gotten her one ally in this Arena that she hadn't had before the Games. Who was to say that streak wouldn't continue?
After crashing and falling asleep when she escaped the Careers, Eden was just admiring the floor of wheels all around when a low rumbling made the floor quake under her feet, the sound of stone against stone as the room seemed to move. Turning around when the noise grinded behind her, she watched as the red diamond that marked the door slowly disappeared in the stone work, and in its place unfolded a red heart.
Shit, Eden thought. That meant that all of the doors had changed, and that meant the map plan that Eden had in her head was ruined now. She wondered if the Gamemakers had done it on purpose because someone knew the map. Or maybe, they were targeting someone specifically by allowing tributes to come through whatever door would take them to the people they hated most. Eden couldn't be sure at this point, but she tried not to worry about it. She had plenty of exploring to do.
Ultimately, even though she was sure the Gamemakers wanted them to hunt each other for the supplies, Burton was right: the best way to get water would be to spin for them. Especially now that she'd found the gold mine of supply wheels.
Thank goodness she'd convinced Burton to put his two tokens in their backpack, just in case. Just in case something bad happened to him, that was. Now Eden had two free spins. She would have to use them wisely.
And luckily for her, the very first wheel she found when she entered the room was, in big dark letters, the Survival Wheel.
Eden inspected the items on the wheel: some were extremely useful, and some were just… Silly. What was Eden supposed to do with a rubber duck!? Unfortunately, she had no choice but to risk her luck. There was, to her relief, four chances for water out of the twenty-four options, which meant that it was a smart attempt.
She took a look around the room, worried that the wheel was going to make noise. The last thing she needed was for someone to find her and take her out all because of a loud wheel. Seeing as the surrounding area seemed empty, Eden took out one of the soft pink tokens from the small pouch on the backpack. No going back now… But Eden was confident.
She ran her finger over the ridges on the edges of the token before taking a deep breath. She slid the token into the slot, and the lights around the wheel lit up and blinked, as if the light were chasing itself around the circle. She grabbed the peg and pulled it down with a great shove. The wheel spun around and around rapidly, each panel flipping past the pin, and slowing down. Eden watched the water panel, biting her lip nervously as It slowed to a stop. Past the sleeping bag, past the bags of food, past the large canteen…
Small full canteen, the word said. Eden lit up like a light as the item came sliding down the chute and out the prize area in a soft pink container. She didn't even hesitate, she reached out and grabbed it, unscrewing the cap and taking a large sip.
It wasn't big, but it was water.
She kept the other token in her pocket, wondering if she would find something else in this room that would be worth her time.
The next wheel she found had a title that read, "Basics Wheel." That had all kind of things that would be useful for someone that didn't have them all, but Eden had food, water, and a knife, so she decided not to waste her last token on it. There was one more, but it was… different. Every panel was red with black writing, and the lights that adorned it were bright red and flickered rapidly. It was by far the largest wheel, sparkling and glimmering just as the others had. The title, in huge letters, said, "CHAOS WHEEL." Eden looked at some of the things on the wheel: a "Real-Ass Taser," "Big Ass Bowling Pin," and "Fun-Ass Laser Pointer." Some of the things on this wheel could absolutely destroy all competition… But the others were just so stupid and pointless. Eden only had one token left, and she didn't need to waste it pressing her luck for nothing. She left the wheel of Chaos behind, backtracking as the area appeared to have been inhabited by another tribute (you don't want to know how Eden could tell). She was okay with playing it safe for just a little longer.
She stopped when she hit the basics wheel from earlier. At that point, the indoor Arena was bright and cheerful, and her stomach grumbled in a way that she knew that it was lunch time, so she took a seat and merrily ate her food and drank her water.
Thanks Burton, she thought, as the cold water slid easily down her parched throat. You were helpful in more ways than you ever thought.
~.~.
-Coda Fukai, 14, District 8-
It had been a long night for Coda.
Through the night, Henley quietly snored beside him. She obviously needed the rest…
His stomach growled, but soon his hunger turned back into that dull pain. He could keep on going without the supplies for at least another couple days… But she couldn't. Each seizure sapped more and more out of her. He couldn't help but shiver a little bit remembering yesterday. She was only speaking gibberish, looking at him with wide, concerned doe eyes. He had no idea what she was trying to say to him… What if that happens again? And worse, what if she doesn't come out of that?
Coda looked at the sleeping girl, just a presence behind him quietly snoring in the dark. Like it or not, he'd grown quite fond of her throughout their time getting to know each other. She provided for him what he couldn't do for himself: restraint.
I wish you had it when you were with me, Kousuke said in his head. Then maybe we would still be friends. Maybe you would still be my brother.
Coda's natural frown deepened at that thought. How badly he missed his brother's voice. They hadn't talked since the incident at the factory. Well, Coda talked to him. Kousuke refused to even look at him.
Easy for him to be mad and spiteful… he didn't even have to lose a limb! Coda was protecting him! And now Kousuke wouldn't even talk to him. Nor would his friends even visit him. That fucking prosthetic really ruined his fucking life didn't it? And now the first friend he had in ages was suffering so greatly… Well, Coda wasn't about to let that happen. He wasn't going to lose her like he lost them.
Did you forget where you are? Kousuke asked. No, he certainly didn't forget… But for now, it wasn't something he had to spend too much time getting worried about. Right now, a bigger threat loomed over him: having to put his money where his mouth was. What was he supposed to do? He was a damn cripple for fuck's sake! How was he supposed to protect her if something happened? How was he supposed to fight for food and water like this? They were exhausted…
Coda balled his fists. They really didn't have the luxury of a choice about this matter. One way or another, he was going to have to fight. He just hoped that he could do it right… Or at least get both of them out alive.
He idly shuffled the deck of cards in his hands as the lights began to brighten, just a little bit at a time, until he could see the patterns on each one as they flicked past his hands. Henley stirred way earlier than Coda would have liked: both wanting her to get enough rest and dread that the sooner she woke up, the sooner they would have to go. And while Coda knew that it had to happen, that didn't mean he didn't feel absolutely terrified about it.
Henley sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What time do you suppose it is?"
Maybe it would be possible to have a rough guess based on the sun's placement in the sky or whatever shit tributes past had to use to decide the goddamn time, but in case she didn't notice, they had no sun. Only the artificial lights of the indoor prison with no goddamn windows. How in the fuck was Coda supposed to know what the time was?
"The morning," he said.
Henley rubbed her eyes and gave him a cute, bleary smile. "Thanks, I could have figured that one out I think."
Coda gave a small laugh, but the truth was that it was hard to force a smile right now when his heart felt like it was going to jump out of his throat. Henley's hollow face fell a little bit at Coda's expression, and his frown deepened in response. He wished that he didn't have to make her feel bad like that, but Coda never tried to pretend, he just wasn't good at it. He didn't need to let Henley suffer through his terrible attempt at acting.
"We really have to go," she said, more a fact than a question, so Coda just gave her a solemn, silent nod. She gave a small sigh of resignation, then stretched out her arms. Coda frowned, not wanting her to waste energy when they had so little left.
"When do you want to start off?" her voice was so gentle that Coda could feel his temperature cooling off, his heartbeat slowing by two notches.
Never, thought Coda. But that just wasn't realistic. He couldn't even stall with a meal because they had no food to eat. And, in his heart of hearts, he knew that the earlier he started off, the better.
But his prayers were answered in the form of an interruption: and a welcome one at that. The cannister rose out of the ground and Coda hurried to it. It was bright lime green, for him, but hopefully something that both of them could use.
He opened the container, but instead of food (or better, water!) staring at him, his eyes were met with a glowing screen. Coda's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he pulled out the machine that looked like a bulky version of a remote control that he'd used at the Capitol. But this one had a lime green dot on it and vibrated dully in Coda's hand.
He took out the piece of paper with the device, hoping it would give him some insight as to what he was supposed to do with it. But… The note wasn't what he was expecting.
Kill the girl now while you can and get your ass moving if you know what's best for you. -Tartan
Coda couldn't believe his eyes. Suddenly, Henley was leaning over him, so he quickly crumpled up the note and threw it in his coat pocket. His heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't want to kill her… What was Tartan thinking? Coda thought he was cool…
Maybe that would impress him. Coda did want to make his mentor proud… But this surely wasn't the way to go. He couldn't believe he'd even entertained the thought!
"What is it?" Henley asked, her wide blue-gray eyes looking down at the device. Thankfully, it seemed that she hadn't noticed anything about the contents of the note. Coda tried to hide the disgust he was feeling at himself. At the conflicting emotions he was still having.
"I think it's a tracker or something," he mumbled after a moment. Almost definitely a tracker. What else could it be?
"Do you think this will take us to food and water?" Henley asked.
"It will give us a start," Coda said, feeling a new sense of determination now that he had some direction. "Let's-"
Suddenly, the floor opened up again. But instead of a quick distribution of a cannister like the past three gifts had been, it was a slow ascent. A gift that kept going, and going, and going. Coda watched with wide eyes as the lamp slowly ascended from the ground in front of them.
Henley blinked and shook her head a little bit. "Is that…" She reached up and wiped her eyes.
"A lamp?" Coda asked. What the hell was that?!
Henley reached over and grabbed the piece of paper that was taped onto the bottom part of the lamp, right next to the goddamn wire that would have to be used to plug in the goddamn lamp to actually get the damn thing to work!? Would not a flashlight have done?!
"What does the note say?" he asked, his heart nervously skipping a beat at the thought that it might say something like his other note said. She turned it around so he could see, and the first thing he was struck by was neat handwriting delicately created in lime green and gold gel pen ink. He squinted to read.
Coda and Henley, My advice: No matter what happens, raise hell in your own way. From, Anakyn
Coda's heart pounded as he took a deep breath.
"Surely he would have sent us food," Henley said quietly. The disappointment in her voice was evident. "Or water…"
They had gotten a total of four sponsor gifts, and none of them were anything the two of them actually needed.
"He might not be allowed to," Coda said, trying to console her a little bit. It was incredibly disappointing to hope each time, only to have it not come through for them. He hadn't thought much on it, trying to move forward from things that happened with the ultimate goal of getting what they needed as soon as possible. Wondering and worrying about sponsor gifts could only do so much for them. But now that she mentioned it… That was a little bit fishy.
Henley frowned, but then her hollow face lit up for a moment. It was so nice for Coda to see her give a little more life in her face. "They must be random. There must be a wheel of sponsor gifts or something!"
Coda thought about it. Given the nature of this Games being so goddamn gimmicky, he didn't doubt her theory. "That seems likely," he said. Which unfortunately meant no matter how much Anakyn, Tav, and Tartan loved them, there was absolutely no way for them to really help.
And that meant that it was really time for Coda to take their welfare into his hands. "Well then, we're going to help ourselves." He pulled out the tracker, and Henley grabbed her own gold backpack. Coda picked up Elliot's navy backpack and then it was time for them to go. Each held tightly onto their own ko-naginata, Henley to the floor lamp, as Coda lead the way through the Spade door, always making sure that Henley was close on his shoulder.
Anakyn's colorful handwriting flashed in front of Coda's eyes. Raise some hell.
Damn, Coda was so ready to raise some hell. He had always done so before, and why should his prosthetic stop him from continuing to do it!?
When he was done, the lamps and other wacky shit would be pouring in.
There was no stopping them now.
~.~.
A/N: Another chapter before Christmas, take it as an early Christmas present! Or, maybe, a blue Christmas. So we get to see some new Arena gimmicks this chapter and I can't wait to see where it goes from here!
Hope you're enjoying the story and let me know what you think and what you would like to see more of!
CQ: I'll keep it lame, favorite POV and why?
Eulogies:
17th Place: Willie Kasteros, District 4- Killed by poison bottle. This was a really tough decision looking at arcs and character types and trying to see who would go farther. But ultimately, Willie was so stubborn and confident that she would be convinced she knew what it was, and then it would come back to bite her despite her more careful allies' protests. Ultimately, Willie was calculated and smart as well as capable, but her stubbornness was her downfall. Thanks so much for sending her Sydni and wishing you all the best.
See you hopefully soon after Christmas!