Chapter Eighteen.
Bloodbath.
Tributes descended into all-encompassing darkness.
As they travelled through concrete and water, within each tube from some hidden speaker, a voice rang through clear as day. High-pitched and lathered in sickly sweet positivity.
"Welcome to each and every one of you. From us here at the Capitol, we would like to extend our gratitude and thank you for choosing to stay with us."
The speaker became garbled, the voice lowering in pitch, static interrupting each syllable and a screech splitting the ears of each tribute as the darkness finally broke and light became their existence. The voice became menacing and horrific. Its intent was no longer welcoming.
"we hope you enjoy your…."
The voice cut off immediately and the tributes were left in total silence.
Around each of them, the tributes could only see the blue tranquillity of water. A fish or two darted around the glass tube that they were descending slowly down and below them, if they twisted their necks sharply enough, they could see huge glass domes interconnected with metal-encased tunnels. Glass panels slid open as the tributes reached the largest of the domes, central to them all, and when the pedestals fixed into place, the tubes ascended and disappeared back up to where the Capitol had just ferried them to the Arena.
Each tribute was dressed in casual-wear. From t-shirts to dresses to cardigans to shorts and skirts. No one was equipped in an outfit befitting their new existence. Around them, they took note of the largest dome they were based in, and through the glass they realised they were deep underwater, locked in some sort of resort.
Only, where the resort had once been, something had happened. Luxury gave way to horror. Where chandeliers had once hung bright and emboldened, jewels had been shattered and one of the bulbs flickered on and off. The carpet was ripped in chunks, blood stains and patches of the wallpaper in flecks around the dishevelled furniture.
It was the foyer of wherever they were supposed to enjoy their stay yet something had happened to match the voice that had transformed into a nightmarish and sinister welcome. As the tributes took in the chaos encircling them, the tunnels leading off to other domes that they had spotted in their descent, they realised there was no golden glint of a Cornucopia.
Instead, the lobby was littered with weapons ranging from a single knife to shimmering spears and menacing swords. Backpacks and supplies were dotted around in various amounts depending on how close one was willing to head towards the centre.
This was a Games made up of Careers. In their blood, they lived and breathed the training they'd been given to prepare them for this moment. Had it been a normal Games, District Two would have naturally latched onto owning the centre stage of where their time in the Arena began. But it could not go that way for them all.
A voice broke through the silence, a number was called, and the countdown began.
24…
Reyan immediately spotted Phobos opposite him and tilted his head ever so slightly sideways. In that moment, gone were Reyan's deceitful smiles and false friendship. He was in the Games and he had to make important choices. He noticed Phobos look to his left and both boys were now staring at Tavius Otho. Perfect.
23…
Svanna noticed how different her allies all looked. Bex was obviously lathering on an external sense of strength as thickly as she could. Syrella's hair looked even redder as her face paled to a severe degree. Callisto was shaking like a leaf. And Palatine… poor kid. Svanna had her eyes on a bow not too far from where her plate was. She hadn't made friends here, she hadn't made any bold statements or declarations of her strength; it was simply time to prove to her parents that she was not the Svanna they thought they had raised. Time to be the Svanna that justified her volunteering.
22…
Tayte wasted no time in doing his best to locate his allies. He opted out of scanning his surroundings because he'd caught sight of an overturned luggage curt, blood spurted across, and felt his stomach go queasy. Now was not the time to feel squeamish. In fact, quite the opposite. When Kasiani met his gaze, she nodded and it gave Tayte the resolve he needed to survive today. To do his best for his friends. To fight and kill if needed. That was who he had to be.
21…
Syrella could practically feel her knees knocking together but that was not the reaction she knew she should be embodying. She noticed Svanna's perfectly confident eyes settled on a bow and did her best to locate a weapon of her own. When her eyes hovered over a spear, she realised Palatine was not too far from her and immediately mapped out her journey when the gong sounded. Spear, then her allies. Not the other way around. That was the smartest course of action.
20…
Phobos was glad Reyan had the same idea. They'd discussed it briefly but right now, Phobos knew as his heart fluttered excitedly, pieces of his entire life slotting together into a puzzle that finally made sense, he knew what course of action he would take to cement his place in the Games. If Tavius knew that Phobos had his name in mind, he wondered what his reaction would be like. Fear? That would be fun.
19…
Bex knew she'd played a risky game instilling tension into an alliance made up of girls she both envied and despised. Callisto looked ridiculous shivering on her pedestal, her delusions finally stripping free to reveal how out of her depth she was. Syrella had her pet Palatine and right now, Bex wasn't too worried about them. It was Svanna that troubled her the most and Svanna that Bex knew had the potential to wreck things for her. Could I-? No, no she knew she couldn't right now. But later, definitely. It was her surest way of taking the crown.
18…
Manny didn't care what Phobos or Reyan had planned for the bloodbath. He could see them looking at each other and the behemoth of a tribute that was Tavius standing next to Phobos. Part of Manny pondered the irony of Phobos dying first – a victim of his own cockiness. He doubted it, and he feared it. Across the circle of scattered supplies, Manny found Aurelian looking around the area, his eyes landing on a metal corridor not too far from where they were stood. He had thought about leaving with Aurelian straight away, but that just wasn't the sort of person Aurelian was. He would stay to protect his friend. He would stay to find himself once more.
17…
Ryland felt disgusting, decked out in pink plimsoles and a knee-length dress with frills and a bow. It had taken all her strength not to rip it to shreds in front of her stylist. The other option had been to arrive to the Arena naked. Even for Ryland that was taking it a step too far. The outfit was probably supposed to match the idea of the tributes staying at whatever resort had been torn apart around them. She knew it had been staged purposely to look quite horrifying, but it did not to shake Ryland's resolve to survive today and help her allies. It hadn't been her intention to get that close to people, but volunteer or not, it didn't mean Ryland was a bad person. Today was the day to prove that.
16…
Ozias trusted Juliet and Briel enough to get done what needed doing. Around the disastrous inner-dome, Ozias allowed his eyes to drift from determined face to worried lip tremble to everything in-between. It was all fake. Phony dramatics from volunteers that felt they had earned the right to flash their peacock-coloured feathers simply because they came from an Academy. He led those that had been turned away from the marble doors, those that had had the silver spoon yanked from broken teeth and bloodied gums and it was all because it was meant to be. He would do his bit in this Arena for the country to see that someone from Two did not have to fit convention. And for those like Vinicius and Sivan, a reckoning upon a district that had scorned them.
15…
Kasiani thought of her elder sister and her parents. The restaurant was definitely open. Every year they'd always done some sort of celebratory menu commemorating the start of the Games. Usually, Kasiani would be wearing either roller-skates or some other irritating way of blasting around the restaurant for such an occasion. She was always so envious of the tributes on the television but knew one day, in her heart, she would be there. Now here she was and she was… a lot of things. But more than anything, she was determined to fight for her sake, Tayte's, Ryland's and Brodus'. They were a team and if there was one thing Kasiani knew, it was how to be a part of a team. Time to shine, girl.
14…
Palatine knew the odds were stacked against him. In an ordinary Games, he wouldn't even be here. In an ordinary Games, he'd be at home considering his future and what he really wanted from life. His books were no longer here to offer him some sort of escape, but he knew whether or not he carried them in his arms, the words were imprinted in his mind and that would have to be enough right now. He knew Bex and Svanna did not consider him much of anything and that was fine by him. Let them discredit his chances. He had Syrella, he had the potential for something Callisto might have to offer, and above all he had himself. He was not a meagre ant to be squished. Palatine was finding his confidence and strength and that had to be enough. Otherwise… no.
13…
Kaia felt exhausted. If she could use the bags under her eyes as weapons, she'd have this entire thing wrapped up in a jiffy. Instead, clinging to such a ludicrous thought that brought a smile to her face, she scanned the area around her for something that would be more useful than wishful thinking. She caught sight of a sign built into the ground, various arrows pointing towards other corridors leading off from the central dome. Hydroponics, was one of them. Bar & Restaurant, another. She thought of the burn of vodka at the back of her throat and almost wished this was in fact a five-star resort she was visiting. But fun and games was over. Kaia kept her eyes focused on the weapon, the laughter slowly drifting to a lock-box at the back of her mind, and ground her teeth together. Show-time.
12…
Valdis could hear the numbers counting down but was doing his absolute best not to focus too hard on the impending chaos about to be unleashed. If he steadied his mind and focused on his breathing, it allowed him to find Viorica a few pedestals down and offer her a thumbs-up. She looked steely in her resolve and that was good because if Valdis could self-combust right about now, he would. He knew he was glad to have turned down his volunteer but right now, he almost wished he had his patchwork jacket back on, whistling down the road and swinging his arms back and forth. Marching to the beat of his own drum had been the Valdis way and now he had to be the conformed Career if he wanted to survive. If Viorica was ready, so was he. He refused to let her down.
11…
Viorica was envious of Kaia. Facing her, she could see how strong she looked, and all she could remember was the girl that had lounged around on the grass, staring up at the sky counting stars and making shapes out of clouds. For someone so carefree and almost lazy, she looked the part of the Career that Viorica had always believed she was deep down. For the sake of her own self-belief, she would fight to survive and win. She'd do everything it took to have Valdis with her at the finish line, and knew eventually Kaia would get in the way of that. But that wasn't a thought for now. At least the bloodbath was simpler in its design. Supplies, fight, survive. The drama could come later.
10…
Aurelian thought of his brother and parents back at home and wondered what they thought of him now that he was actually here. The only point of his training was to take his brother's place if the threat of the prized child of the Eldridge family was ever reaped. How stupid, if you think about it… he was in a place surrounded by people that would have been just as eager to do so. Aurelian didn't care about what anyone else wanted right now. Today was the day to prove that he could be true to his values and morals, but also be a tribute in the Games. It was a delicate balance but a balance he would find regardless of the obstacle. He hoped his family was watching. It was time to prove them wrong.
9…
Callisto looked at a spear not too far from her feet and cocked her head to the side. In a weird delirious state, she actually smiled, and thought back to the moment in the trees with Flavia, believing that it was the spear's fault for her poor attempt at throwing. She was truly alone in this world. Flavia was not her friend. No one took her seriously. It had taken fulfilling her life's dream of being a tribute in the Hunger Games, a shining star under a spotlight, to realise she was nothing but a fraud. But that did not change the fact Callisto was ready to continue putting on the act if it meant she could survive. It was the only thing she knew she was good at. Living with her delusions was her greatest strength.
8…
Juliet was lucky. He was two pedestals away from Briel and the pair of them exchanged a look which Juliet knew all too well from his time on the streets. Time to get shit done. He wasn't in this game to protect his reaped allies, or even their divine leader so far up his own ass he couldn't see daylight. It was him and Briel and at the end of the day, Juliet was ready for whatever was about to be thrown his way. He'd do his bit if it benefitted him, but he'd volunteered to escape a horrific fate, so he wasn't above casting out those he'd swore an allegiance to if it suited him. He knew what some people thought of him but honestly, he did not care in the slightest. Juliet was proud of the slimy upbringing he had behind him because it had made him into the type of person cut from the cloth of victors. It wasn't arrogance, it was true. He would spill blood not because he wanted to, but because he needed to and knew how to. When push came to shove, he was ready to get his hands dirty.
7…
Briel noticed amongst all the standard weaponry were the cruder kind mingled in with all the supplies. A jagged lead pipe. A barbed rope. All sorts of toys designed to kill. Briel wasn't sure how she felt about taking a life. In her own brand of training, Briel had detached herself from those thoughts enough to push herself to be the best version of the star she knew she was deep down. Juliet, not too far from where she stood, would kill, so she knew she had to. She wasn't against it, but for the first time in what felt forever, her emotions were muted in the desolate silence of the tributes awaiting the gong. So many what-ifs. Briel didn't know the answer to her future.
6…
Vinicius had never been the kind of person to seek solace from another. He worked his fingers to the bone to secure a life in a meagre, dust-riddled part of Two, because he wanted to carve his own slice of life for himself. He didn't want to owe anyone anything. And yet, when his eyes found Ozias and his ally smiled, his entire body lit up with something that felt akin to hope. Hope because he was the weakest link out of their entire chain. If he felt his trademark anger, it was buried under a desire to do his best to triumph over the odds. It was all he really could do. Stare them down and do what needed to be done. Defy the burden of being the only untrained tribute in a sea of monsters.
5…
Damali was scared of her new surroundings. She had just come from a city that personified luxury and here she was where that very same luxury had been tarnished with blood and savagery. It was the story of her life. She prayed her mother was watching her and seeing the wreck that had become her daughter. Deep down, Damali did not see a shining future for herself paved by victory, but a dark and desolate future. Amongst the gloom and misery, though, she caught sight of River standing amongst ruin, and thought of her friend's smile vanishing forever. No. If she couldn't do this for herself, she could do this for River. Not could, but would.
4…
Tavius didn't care for the looks sent by the murderous dolt standing on the pedestal to his side. If he came for him, Tavius had already spotted a knife not too far from where he stood. Right now, Tavius' mind was more focused on his allies and the mystery of their future together. Damali had to go, but if he could do it in a way that wouldn't turn River against him, then he knew that it would help his chances having someone on his side. Time for the first domino to fall.
3…
River watched a school of fish with stripes of yellow dart around the outside of their new tomb. If this resort hadn't been ripped apart on the inside by some unknown entity, River was sure it would have been beautiful. She wondered if it had been made purely for the sake of the Hunger Games or if at one point this had actually been a place for people to stay. Not important, River. She snapped her mind back into focus and found Damali looking over at her. Together.
2…
Brodus could hear the whispers of the people from back home circling his mind and his fists continued to shake sporadically by his hip. Your parents' son. A match had been struck and extinguished in one breath of air. Hopeless rebels. All the bottled emotions were teetering on the edge and he was worried for what it might mean the second the gong sounded. He cared for his allies. In fact, he knew deep down a part of him even considered them friends. If he could find a way of using what was surfacing for good, rather than bad, then maybe that was the key. There was only one way to find out.
1…
Sivan knew she was playing second fiddle to someone else's ride to victory. She wasn't an idiot, she was her sister's shadow, and she refused to fall so quickly once the blood began to spill. Ozias was the ally she needed but she was not his first and only choice. Vinicius existed and whilst Sivan felt something when she was with him that she hadn't experienced ever before, a sort of understanding and belonging, this was the Hunger Games and the existing relationship he shared with their leader could be a problem. She thought of Briel and Juliet – their muscle – and wondered what their thoughts were. She was not blind to the potential problems of what they had, but she would do her best to find her ground and make herself noteworthy. It was time to own her fear like she had tried to do for the past few days. It was time to own who Sivan Arcuri was, would be, and always had been right from the very beginning.
0…
The gong sounded.
The Games began.
In the space of a single second, chaos became their new world.
Phobos launched himself from his pedestal, adrenaline like red-hot fire in his veins, and turned immediately towards Tavius. What the latter had failed to realise, in a Games where so many of them had trained for this exact moment, this shining step towards a coveted life, a Career did not need a weapon to inflict pain.
Tavius raised a startled hand as Phobos launched himself upwards from the balls of his feet and toppled the largest tribute in the Games with a fist directly to the nose. A spray of blood spurted across Phobos' face but he didn't care in the slightest. With a swipe of the back of his hand to clear the crimson droplets, Tavius moaning in pain as his knees buckled, Phobos grabbed him by the jaw and slammed him in a furiously quick downwards motion.
Stars exploded as white-hot pain ripped right through Tavius' cheekbone. Something snapped as his head collided with the metal pedestal he'd moments ago been standing on, confidently surveying the area, plotting for the eventual downfall of his alliance. In the blink of an eye, as more and more tributes ran past, all Tavius could see were their shoes as he felt a hand wrap round his hair and slam him back down.
The stars became darker and mistier. A fog marred the pain as Phobos smashed Tavius' skull repeatedly against the pedestal. Bone cracked, skin tore, and Tavius' body gave one last twitch before Phobos offered a final kick to the forehead for good measure. He took a step backwards.
"Fucking hell."
He looked over his shoulder as Reyan stood, huffing and puffing next to him, and all Phobos did was shrug. At his feet, the largest tribute in the Games, a threat to each and every one of them, was nothing more than a corpse whose face was pulverised beyond recognition.
"It's done," Phobos deadpanned.
He nodded at Reyan, swivelled on the balls of his feet, and headed back towards the fray.
There were plenty more tributes ready to fall.
Damali felt her shoulders give as someone barrelled into her, forcing her knees to buckle as her body almost toppled to the ground. She managed to steady herself as a mane of curly hair continued to sprint towards the centre of the lobby.
Ryland Mercer. The name popped into her mind but Damali blinked it away. Ryland was not paying attention to her in the slightest and Damali knew she had more important things to worry about. The light from the chandelier continued to flicker as the electricity jarred, sending sporadic bursts of light that mixed with the fluorescence coming from bulbs situated in the outside space of water. She saw another body heading towards her and quickly side-stepped, heart in her throat, hair frantically splaying this way and that as she scanned the area for River.
Or even Tavius.
When she spotted her one and only friend in this Games, Damali couldn't help the smile on her face as she bolted towards her. She spotted a backpack not too far from where she was and swiped it upwards quickly, wrapping it round her shoulders and jumping over another tribute that had been brought to the ground in the tributes' race for the centre.
Where there had previously been a desire to vomit her guts up, all Damali wanted to do was grab River and high-tail it down the nearest corridor. Right now, it didn't matter where that corridor led. The fact it would carry them away from the carnage unravelling was good enough for her.
"River!" Damali called out just as she watched her ally's jaw drop like a hinge, tongue lolling out in a gasp. "W-Wha—?"
Damali turned around as she heard a sickening crunch and watched Phobos Arroyo utterly annihilate Tavius' skull against the metal pedestal. A cascade of gore drenched the carpet, saturating through to the floorboards and Damali felt her breakfast perform acrobatics in her stomach.
Fear gripped her heart in a tight fist. "We have to go!"
River looked at Damali, fear turning her eyes into circles the size of saucers, and she nodded. "Y-Yeah. C'mon."
It didn't matter that the two of them had training behind them. Tributes like Phobos were stronger and right now, immediate threats. As the two of them danced around the Cornucopia-less area, River picking up her own backpack, Damali couldn't help but picture Tavius' corpse and felt… relief?
Tremendous guilt flooded her system but it didn't do enough to eradicate the feeling. River was panting heavily next to her as another tribute dive-bombed for an array of weapons and she felt her fingers tighten around her friend's grip.
It was now her and River.
Her and—
"DAMALI!"
Her body was pitched sideways, the jewels in the chandelier spotted with blood became her central view, and she felt the wind go from her lungs as she connected with the carpet. "Ugh… w-wha…" Her vision was groggy as she heard the whistle of something catching the breeze and looked up as boots leaped over her, the same mane from earlier as Ryland whizzed forwards, this time looking down at Damali and shaking her head.
In her absence, she saw River on the ground, and crawled on her elbows towards her. Another whistle of metal in the wind and something arced in the air before landing… landing… landing right into River's chest.
"No…no…"
Damali felt breathless as she forced herself to her knees and looked over her shoulder. Svanna Hyland had a bow in her hands and had sniped down River. In the sudden and apparent threat of another tribute, River had pushed Damali to the ground and she was now… now…
Dead?!
Damali's tears ran hot and bitter down her cheeks and she raised her backpack, halting the next arrow from splitting her throat open and she ran, she ran as fast as she could, over River's still body, away from a pair of tributes wrestling on the ground, and she continued running away…away…away…
River and Tavius, dead.
And now I'm alone.
Svanna lowered her bow but kept the arrow ready.
She stared at the corpse not too far from where she was standing and a chill ran down her spine. I did that… I killed someone… The academies in Two could preach all they liked about what it meant to be a tribute, what it meant to be a fighter, and Svanna had lived and breathed the idea that she could be more than the pretty heir to the Hyland empire.
She had bought the fantasy hook, line and sinker.
But nothing could prepare her for the reality of taking the life of another living, breathing girl.
Don't. Not now. Not ever. This is just the way it has to go.
She looked over her shoulder and caught Callisto shoving supplies into a backpack. Although she detested the pretty yet delusional girl, she was the closest ally she could see, and right now that was an anchor back towards reality.
Feet pumping the ground, River's corpse in mind, she ran back into the fray.
Game-mode.
Kaia, for today, was not the same Kaia who had complained about the regimented schedule her mother had kept her under. The iron thumb of a Peacekeeper who wanted her daughter to be the best of the best.
The Kaia that she had to be was the one who embraced the strict rules and regulations because that was the Kaia who knew how to play the game. And play it she would.
Crouched behind the main desk of the lobby, she stuffed the spare knives into the burgundy backpack she'd found and clipped the others to a belt that would equip her with enough weapons to do some sturdy damage.
When the gong had sounded she could have ran straight towards her allies. Viorica wasn't too far from her, but her priority had to be herself right now. Without a weapon in a sea of Careers, she was as good as dead.
From her secluded spot in the right-hand side of the lobby, she'd watched as two tributes had already succumbed to the Hunger Games and cast that thought from her mind immediately. She didn't know them. Faceless entities that were in the way for her victory. The important part was that it wasn't her, Valdis or Viorica that had died.
She intended to keep it that way.
Speaking of Valdis…
She saw him grappling with the tall, lanky weirdo from Sector Five. Ozias something. Neither had a weapon in hand but from what she'd witnessed with Tavius' skull a puddle on the carpet, it didn't take much to kill someone without an actual blade.
Her hands unclipped a knife from her belt and standing upright behind the desk, she pulled her hand back and let it whiz through the air as best as she could, hands planting firmly on the scratched-up wood and vaulting over it, following the knife in its murderous wake.
Ozias and Valdis were too far though for the knife to find its target. But it had the intended effect. Both boys looked up at the sound of the knife and Kaia's footsteps and Ozias could barely react in time to stop Kaia's boot from connecting with his knee, sending a spasm of pain down his leg as he ground his teeth together to stop from shouting out.
"Thank y—"
"Not now," Kaia snapped.
She passed Valdis a knife and in the face of two armed tributes, Ozias threw out an immediate fist, connecting with Valdis' nose and skirted around the toppled over furniture, fleeing from the threat that Kaia posed.
A threat? It felt almost good to be considered one.
She offered Valdis a hand and he grabbed it shakily, laughing with the blood that dripped down from his nostrils and splashed against the carpet. "He got me good."
"Yeah well, it could have been worse."
Kaia knew right now was not the time for conversation. As much as Valdis liked to yap on and on and on, it would get them killed if they didn't refocus their energy on finding Viorica and surviving. She raised her knife defensively and caught sight of another tribute not too far from where they were.
Valdis looked at Kaia. The tribute in question had his back to them, crouching down, eyes nervously darting up in the direction before him and to his side… but not looking behind him…
"Kaia?"
"Let me think."
The knife felt heavy in her hand. Over the crouched form of the tribute, Valdis spotted Viorica and his face lit up. Kaia felt the conflict seep into her bones. Do I… or…? She looked again at Viorica and knew that if she wanted to, she could run straight for her ally, Valdis by her side, and leave immediately. She wouldn't have to kill just yet.
But that was not the Career she was supposed to be. That was not what training dictated. And it was not the mindset of a Victor.
Valdis watched Kaia raise a knife and before he could say anything, she released it with steady aim, straight into the back of the tribute who slowly rose with a bundle of supplies.
He yelped in surprise but it was cut short, blood spurting outwards, and he landed face-forwards. Kaia ran, arms pumping towards her victim, and tried her best not to think too much about what she'd done. He was whimpering as he tried to flounder onto his side, twitching in agony, fearful eyes finding Kaia's dishevelled face.
"I—I don't—" he murmured.
Blood dripped from his lips and Kaia grabbed hold of the knife, forced it from his back, and made a clean cut straight through his chest.
Vinicius Grecco was dead in an instant.
"C'mon," Kaia said to Valdis, whose eyes were staring between his ally and the body at their feet. "Let's get Viorica and go."
I did what I was supposed to do.
I can't be the girl that stares at the sky and dreams of doing nothing.
I have to be the Victor I'm destined to be.
It was the only way she'd survive.
Ozias watched his world fall to pieces in the blink of an eye.
Running from Kaia, he hadn't spotted Vinicius hurriedly gathering supplies until it was too late, and now the only untrained tribute in this entire Games was dead.
Something unhooked itself from his mind and he felt his body go numb from the place where he was crouched. He had been put on this world, pulled from a near death experience, to be a special sort of someone. Someone who looked out for the less than. The people at the bottom of the ladder.
If that wasn't who he was meant to be, if he couldn't protect them, if his goal was nothing more than ashes, then what was he?
No. A thunder-cloud ravaged behind his eyes, blood pounding in his ears as he watched Kaia, Viorica and Valdis disappear down a corridor, and he found Sivan not too far from Vinicius' corpse, worriedly looking for something.
No. Looking for me.
It was not over yet.
His part in this performance was far from finished.
Juliet watched Ozias grab Sivan by the hand and pull her away from Vinicius' cold, dead body.
Shit… poor kid…
Briel had the same sort of reaction judging by her expression but the two of them were here for a reason and that hadn't changed simply because they'd lost an ally. Both the tributes from Sector Nine were the other side of the lobby from Ozias and now Sivan who had relinquished under Ozias' grasp. To get to them, they'd have to cross the chaos, and both knew they were willing to do so.
"Don't hesitate," Juliet whispered over his shoulder to Briel. "Anyone gets in the way…"
"I know what to do," Briel said with a nod of her head.
"Okay. C'mon."
Juliet had a sword in his hand, Briel only the jagged lead pipe she'd spotted earlier. It was enough. Though neither were the typical volunteer, both knew that they were in this game together despite their alliance, and would do whatever it took. Juliet to get back to a life that had always been dirty and in the shadows, but a life he knew how to work. Briel to prove to herself and to everyone else she had what it took.
It would be funny almost if they both won. What a big fuck-you to the District that would be.
Juliet took the first step forwards and ran for it, leaping over an upturned trolley cart, his foot almost connecting with a suitcase. Briel was more agile than that and avoided it completely, landing on the heels of her feet and pumping her arms by her side, running in line with Juliet.
Some of the tributes had already disappeared from the area. Three of them were now dead in a pool of blood. Juliet ducked as an arrow went past his shoulder but judging by the aim and trajectory, it wasn't meant for him. If it was, whoever had shot it could not shoot for shit.
Ozias and Sivan caught sight of Juliet and he saw their leader wave quickly, beckoning them forwards. Although they were playing separate games, right now they were together in this, and that was enough drive to carry them forwards.
Right into the path of a huddle of tributes.
Juliet cried out as his body pitched into Tayte and Kasiani, who had been running in a completely different direction, unaware of the two tributes trying to cross the area. They went down in a heap and Briel firmly stood her ground, halting as Ryland and Brodus watched wary between Juliet and their allies on the ground, and the threat before them.
Two against four… fuck… Briel thought. That didn't stop her from twirling the pipe in her hand and holding it upright. She didn't know them and that was actually a strength here. Keep connections to a minimum. They might have lived together, but right now that meant shit.
"You're in my way," Briel said.
Juliet forced his way upwards quickly as Tayte and Kasiani untangled themselves from each other, retreating to join Ryland and Brodus.
Ryland sneered. "In your way? You ran into us."
Brodus was shivering next to Ryland but not out of fear. Briel couldn't quite place what was going on inside the kid but she'd seen enough of a red face staring back at her in the mirror to realise he was pissed about something. She had to be careful.
"Just walk around us and we'll go our separate ways," Tayte said.
Kasiani nodded, looking directly at Ryland their overly impulsive ally, and then Juliet and Briel, clearly the threats of the altercation with weapons in hand. "Yeah. Let's not turn this into something it doesn't have to be just yet. We can—"
A flower of red blossomed in the yellow plaid of Kasiani's dress. Juliet pulled his sword out and shook it, splatters of blood kissing the air around them, as her body pitched sideways and crumpled.
"The fuck did you-?" Ryland's hand slipped from Brodus' as she stared at Tayte whose mouth was hanging open, and then at Juliet and Briel.
"Don't kid yourselves," Juliet said. "We don't walk away."
It was in that second that Briel noticed it, the anger inside Brodus finding its release, shattering open from its locked chest, and scorching the air between them. Ryland could do nothing to stop Brodus as he flew right in the direction of Juliet, knocking Tayte sideways into Kasiani's dead body, hands outstretched to grab him and do something.
Almost too easy… Briel pierced the back of his neck with her pipe and Brodus' advance of emotion, radiating with fiery anger, became extinguished immediately as he grabbed his neck, blood pumping between his fingers, and toppled backwards, landing right next to Kasiani.
Juliet and Briel, in the space of seconds, had solidified why they were here in the first place. It wasn't going to be a cake-walk. And no one got to just walk away.
Ryland didn't make the same mistake as her allies. Before Juliet or Briel could do anything, she grabbed Tayte by the arm and hoisted him away, the two sprinting in the opposite direction of their fallen friends. Between Juliet, Briel and the two fleeing tributes, another group was huddling together, gathering weapons between them, and they knew it was time to go.
"Well done," Juliet said with a nod of his head.
Maybe it was callous to congratulate someone over killing a teenager, but that was the life they had chosen, and it was a life that had led to a grisly fate.
Briel nodded and they turned their attention back towards a waiting Ozias and Sivan.
"Time to go," Briel said.
And with that, they left.
Bex watched Tayte and Ryland leg it down a corridor, another alliance slipping between their fingers, and let forth the profanity.
And of course, standing not too far from where they'd just disappeared, spear in her manicured hand, was Callisto fucking Rius.
"Would you just goddamn do something?!"
Bex stormed over to her delusional ally and from the corner of her eye, watched Ozias and his motley crew retreat down another part of the Arena that was hidden from them. Fuck sake.
She rounded on Callisto and almost, almost, raised a fist to punch the shocked look from her stupid perplexed face.
"There were two of them," Callisto bleated.
Bex rolled her eyes and jabbed the handle of her sword against Callisto's shoulder. "Come on. This isn't over."
It wasn't like Bex to lose total control. She hadn't done so her whole life back in Two, she had bit her tongue in the Capitol to bring together an alliance that really wasn't up to par with what she wanted from this experience, and finally… finally Callisto had a chance to prove she could do something and all she'd done was – well, nothing.
With her useless ally in tow, Bex stormed away from the corridor, and back into the fray.
It was just the two alliances left.
No one else had tried to lay claim to the central dome, happy to gather their supplies and high-tail it away from the prominent area, known to each and every tribute.
They all knew being in such a secure spot would one day be a huge target on their backs, but right now there were still so many supplies left, whoever managed to secure the spot was definitely in for the best position moving forwards.
Reyan looked at the five dead bodies littering the area and felt a nervous flutter in his chest. It wasn't so much as excitement at the thought of death and blood, but the excitement at knowing he was one step closer and that Phobos had managed to take out the biggest threat in this Games with such ease.
And that was where the nerves came in. Because Phobos had now taken that mantle of being the biggest threat. Some day soon, that might come to bite Reyan in the ass if he wasn't careful.
"Out of arrows?" Reyan called out.
The two alliances were now facing each other in a stand-off that looked almost like something from a book or film. Svanna had shot her last arrow trying to take down Ozias as he fled the area but even her aim was not good enough from such a distance. There were definitely more arrows in the nearby vicinity however, which was exactly why she wanted this area for her alliance, and Reyan could not let them.
"I'm sure mommy and daddy are watching from home and are so proud of the boy that's hiding behind the psycho from a lesser part of Two," Svanna jeered.
Her dig was obviously aimed to hurt him, but Reyan had heard it all. And from what he'd gathered from Phobos, the psycho in question didn't seem to care about Reyan leading their alliance. It suited him just fine.
Reyan couldn't quite see the nerdy virgin from Sector Six but he wasn't exactly the biggest threat so he cast him from mind immediately. It was unfortunate Manny hadn't died but he stood side by side with Aurelian, the two butt-buddies hanging to each other for dear life.
In Bex's thunderous wake, he caught sight of a staggering Callisto and Syrella wasn't too far from Svanna's hip. Reyan was nervous for this fight, a clean four-vs-four disregarding the cannon-fodder that was Palatine, but he had to believe that he could do this.
He was Reyan fucking Nalara after all. Back home, most of these tributes would kiss his ass for a slice of the life he had.
"I'm bored," Phobos drawled, swinging his sword around, pointing it outwards in the direction of Svanna. "Can we stop talking and just fight."
"Spoken like a true psychopath," Svanna said with a laugh.
"I don't care what it makes me. You'll be dead anyway."
Reyan was the leader, but Phobos wasn't easily controlled, and with him swiftly marching towards Svanna and Syrella, the wheels were put in motion, and he had no choice but to join in the fight.
Time to put that Nalara name into action. Mom, dad, hope I make you proud.
Bex made a beeline straight for Svanna and Syrella, leaving Callisto to deal with the other two from the opposing alliance. None of them seemed to be moving anyway, Manny and Aurelian just staring at her, so it wasn't exactly the most exciting of shows.
Instead, she chose where the action was, and was prepared to do what needed to be done.
Svanna picked up an axe from the ground, bow now on her back, and swung straight for Phobos' neck. He was quicker than he looked and darted to the left, swinging his head round and then straightening his back, sword out and slicing at Svanna's leg. Syrella was there in an instant, technique sloppy, but she kicked forwards and Phobos was caught off balance, falling down on one knee.
"Thanks," Svanna said breathlessly in the direction of Syrella.
Cute, Bex thought. But this isn't the time for cute.
Bex picked up another sword from the ground and with both in hand, launched straight at Phobos. He jumped back, then to the side, and brought his own weapon to clash with hers as the blade in Bex's left hand sliced open his face. Warm blood splashed down and he cried out, a whimpering sort of sound that didn't match the bravado of the cocky psychopath.
"Pussy," Bex taunted.
There was a cry not too far from where Bex had just left Callisto, and if Bex cared enough to look, she was sure Callisto was no doubt being bested within seconds. Syrella looked between Bex and Svanna who were facing off Phobos and an advancing Reyan, and towards Callisto who was pacing backwards with the spear pointing out.
"I'll help," Syrella said.
Bex didn't care. Svanna nodded. And off their show-pony ran, her only use being the money she carried. I wonder if she dies, if her parents will sponsor us anyway…? Bex shrugged the thought away and launched again at Phobos, Svanna's support by her side, and weapons continued to clash.
Phobos lifted his sword again, his face now doused in red, and Bex continued to hack away. It didn't matter if they were sector partners anymore. They were all just District Two trying to claim a crown.
She was getting there, it seemed. He was becoming weaker and if he just… if he just…
Her first sword clashed with Phobos', but as she brought her second one down, Phobos rolled out the way and she felt something cold slide into her gut.
Reyan pulled his weapon free from Bex, taking advantage of the moment where both her swords were trained on Phobos, and her hands released the blades, both clattering against the ground.
Oh… fuck… she gave Svanna one last, almost confused look, and her head collided with the carpet.
"Shit," Svanna said, gritting her teeth together.
Reyan just smirked. "Shit indeed."
Callisto's spear was sent hurtling to the side.
Manny was quicker than he looked and she had to jump back to avoid his next swing. With each step, Callisto's heart was beating louder and louder and louder and she knew it was coming. In a way, she almost felt at peace with the idea of dying, the escape of it all, but reality came sharp and quick as she heard footsteps rush next to her and Syrella tackled Manny to the ground with an oof.
The two rolled around throwing fists and nails at each other. Out the corner of her eye, Callisto saw someone topple sideways, and when she looked, she saw it.
Bex.
Her nerves suddenly abated and instead she was filled with momentary joy. She didn't care what that made her. Bex was dead and good fucking riddance.
In the wake of her death, Svanna was now fending off both Phobos and Reyan, struggling as she backed herself towards the open expanse of a corridor leading off from where they were. Callisto watched Syrella struggle with Manny which meant she was left with –
"Oh."
Aurelian had a mace in his hands but he hadn't yet used it on a defenceless Callisto.
The two locked eyes and she thought of the awkward yet weirdly kind kid she'd met on the train. She'd dismissed him right from the off. Thrown her trademark insults because it made her feel better about the fact she was in the presence of an Eldridge and they were riiiich.
Now, her life was in his hands, and he wasn't doing… anything.
Though it confused Callisto, the situation only confused Aurelian even more.
She was weapon-less. She was his sector partner. She was Callisto Rius and though she had been nothing more than a parasitic nightmare, Aurelian couldn't will his hands to strike her down. He wasn't like Phobos who could smash Tavius' skull open. He wasn't Reyan who had such confidence injected into every fibre of his being.
He was just Aurelian. The second-best Eldridge. And staying true to himself meant he was standing still, feet locked, staring straight at Callisto who did nothing but stare back.
Leave, he wanted to say. Run.
Callisto could see the conflict in his face and for a moment actually pitied him. And then she saw something else. Someone else.
Palatine clutched a knife in his hand and silently was edging closer and closer towards the back of Aurelian. Her sector partner was too focused on Callisto to even notice and in the moment she almost called out for some stupid fucking reason. Because it wasn't fair on Aurelian.
He was too good to be here. Playing a fair game was not going to claim the crown.
When the knife slipped into the back of his ribs, Aurelian let out a gasp and Palatine wasted no time in pulling out the knife. I did this for Callisto, she better remember that. He did his best to stop the wobble in his lip as Aurelian choked on his own blood, spluttering on the ground until finally going still. Palatine's eyes were kept out front as he ran straight towards Callisto, picking up her spear for her and handing it back to her.
"We have to leave," he said firmly.
Callisto looked around. Bex was dead. Svanna had made it back towards Syrella as Manny ran straight for Aurelian's body. Reyan and Phobos were a deadly duo, side-by-side, weapons pointing at them.
She nodded. "We do."
Svanna and Syrella realised it too.
But Syrella also saw something else as the four of them fled the scene. She saw Palatine and Callisto. She saw Palatine with a knife coated in blood from a tribute he'd just killed to protect Callisto. She saw her friend with the girl they'd always made fun of.
And she saw Bex's body. The strongest of their alliance in a pool of her own blood.
Everything has changed, Syrella mused. And not for the better.
They left the scene.
Reyan, Phobos and Manny had the inner dome.
For now, they'd won, but at a price.
A price that Reyan was more than happy to pay.
A price that Phobos did not care about.
A price that had ripped Manny's heart from his chest.
Seven dead.
The Games had only just begun.
24th: Tavius Otho, Sector Eleven Male.
23rd: Gormlaith Riviere, Sector Eleven Female.
22nd: Vinicius Grecco, Sector Ten Male.
21st: Kasiani Tavarro, Sector Five Female.
20th: Brodus Marcano, Sector Twelve Male.
19th: Bex Redgrave, Sector Three Female.
18th: Aurelian Eldridge, Sector Eight Male.
And that my friends is that.
Seven tributes have now kicked the bucket and it was very sad because I feel like I did my absolute best in the Capitol to give everyone their time to shine, and coming into these Games I didn't want there to be obvious survivors, and obvious bloodbaths. So I can say from the bottom of my heart, thank you and sorry to those that lost their tributes in this chapter. I have loved this cast so, so much and I'm glad to have been trusted with bringing them to life. And also their deaths. Thank you guys!
The Arena is basically some kind of underwater resort. Anyone that knows me knows that I never put LOADS into the thought process behind my arenas. They aren't my favourite things in the world to design in a SYOT. But yeah… more to come from that!
Let me know what you all thought :)