So, before the bloodbath begins, here is a quick recap of all the alliances as they stand currently.

Careers: Tabby, Cassie, Jason, Eydis, Murchad, Tyto
Lovers: Santana, Rel
Career Killers: Edison, Mila, William, Kendra, Peter
Survivalists: Brooke, Butch, Tessa, Matt
Business Partners: Ayla, Tesler, Eira
Loners: Liz, Nebraska, Scott, Tanya

Without further ado, I give you…death!

Tabby Gold District 1: 18F

Monday Morning 5:30AM
Time Until Bloodbath: 2hrs 30mins

In the ungodly hours of the morning, Tabby was awakened by an alarm clock, she showered and dressed, wondering if it would in fact be the last time she dressed herself from her own Bloodbath was so close now, only two-and-a-half hours away.

Tabby had dreamed of fighting in the Hunger Games for as long as she could remember, yet now her own mortality had never seemed more real. She had never considered the possibility of losing before, but no matter how many times she tried to convince herself victory was assured, Tabby wondered again if it was her own death that approached her.

For the first time in her life, Tabby was scared, scared that she wasn't prepared, scared that the Games would not be all she had dreamed them to be, but most of all scared that her own perception of her life had been shattered. All that she knew, or rather, what she thought she knew was revealed to be little more than a delusion. Tabby had crafted an inadequate sense of herself and her own abilities, and her score had shown her that.

Fucking Tyto Winter had scored higher than she had, and Santana's boyfriend scored an eight too. Neither of them trained in an academy designed to create victors in the Hunger Games, but Tabby had, and her score did not reflect that. She questioned why.

And, also for the first time in her life, Tabby thought that maybe, just maybe, she was to blame for her failings.

She volunteered in violation of district tradition with promises of glory and honor. Throughout the process leading up to the Games, Tabby found her dreamt of reality to be false at every turn. She wasn't the strongest of tributes or the smartest. She wasn't the leader of the career alliance, nor was she beloved by the Capitol as she thought she would be. Tabby's dreams were just that, dreams, and nothing more.

But there was one dream Tabby still held to that didn't have to remain a dream. Tabby could still win the Hunger Games.

Tabby, now firmly awake, exited her room, and already the smell of cooking bacon filled her nostrils. She spotted a single avox with a pan in hand, her focus directed solely on her work. Avoxes were trained to keep their eyes down. It made them appear more submissive.

Meanwhile, her mentors sat at the one table along with Santana. There was no way in hell she was sitting with him on her very last day in the training center. Tabby didn't want to ruin her mood before she entered the arena. So, she sat at the breakfast bar instead.

The avox uncomfortably turned her eyes away from Tabby, now keeping her eyes firmly glued to the pan. Tabby was not exactly sure what to make of the girl's situation. The avox was just as human as Tabby, yet the girl couldn't even meet Tabby's eyes. Something seemed deeply wrong, but Tabby couldn't tell exactly what, or why it was wrong.

Santana was speaking idly with Virtue and Tolkien about something or other, but it had nothing to do with the Games as far as Tabby could tell. Her district partner seemed unbelievably calm, given the incredibly short length of time before the Bloodbath. She didn't quite understand how. Tabby herself felt her nerves growing. It was still hours away, and she was questioning whether she could even make it to the Bloodbath without throwing up due to her nervousness.

Very soon though, her nerves wouldn't even matter. She would be in the fire before she knew it, and by that time Tabby wouldn't be able to do much more than react to the violence coming at her. Well, she would probably be causing quite a bit of it herself.

Tabby scarfed down the rest of her breakfast as quickly as she could while her companions cleaned up their plates. Perhaps she should have woken earlier today, but then she would have had less sleep and that would certainly be problematic.

Tabby groaned and dropped her fork, ramming her head into the palms of her hands. She continually told herself to calm down. Her brain was frazzled, and her thoughts bounced around in every direction, seemingly uncontrollably.

"Breathe," Tabby whispered to herself. "You're fine. Now calm down and get your shit together."

She followed her own advice, breathing in deeply, then exhaling. There was very little Tabby could do. She knew that very well, so why was she doubting herself now? What was happening to her?

"Are you okay Tabby?" Tolkien questioned gently while he approached slowly.

"Fine," Tabby responded, probably more harshly than was necessary.

"I understand how you feel," Tolkien continued. "The morning before my Games I could barely stay still. I was a wreck, yelling at people, breaking plates, but when I came through the tubes into the arena everything made so much more sense. All that went away, and my mind was clear. Just hang in there. It's almost time."

"Yeah, that's the problem," Tabby complained. "It's almost time, but not quite yet. It's felt like that for the last year."

"She's worried I'm going to do better," Santana interjected, most unhelpfully.

Tolkien turned back to Santana with an annoyed look on his face. Then, he turned his eyes back to Tabby with a great deal of sympathy there. Meanwhile, as Tolkien looked away, Santana made a slashing gesture across his neck, then sent finger guns in her direction with a huge grin on his face.

Was he coming for her? That couldn't be possible. Santana said he was after Jason, which, though Tabby was loathe to admit it, was mildly comforting to know that she wasn't his first target.

Nonetheless, the gesture unnerved her. Tabby did not want to face the wrath of Santana Perez, no matter how sure she was of her own abilities.

"Hey, it's time guys," Virtue announced. "We've got to go."

Tabby grumbled and left her plate where it lay with most of her breakfast unfinished. They took the elevator down into the lobby where they saw multiple black limousines pull up in front of the training center. On the side of each limo there was a silver number, no doubt meant to represent each district.

Santana led the way to the first limousine with an almost pantomimic confidence about him. Tabby followed behind feeling substantially less confident. She comforted herself however, with Tolkien's advice ringing in her mind. Everything would be fine once the Games started. All the bullshit would fall away, and she would only have to win.

William Young District 9: 18M

Monday Morning 6:30AM
Time Until Bloodbath: 1hr 30mins

Across from William, Tanya appeared as disheveled as it was possible for a person to appear. Her hair was tangled, and her eyes were sunken with dark circles beneath. She stared into the couch William sat upon with a thousand-yard stare. Her blue eyes were like wormholes, so deep they seemed to absorb the light around them, leaving only shadows surrounding Tanya's face.

William, meanwhile, felt more comfortable than Tanya appeared to. While she looked like a rat that had just rolled out of bed, William was reasonably clean. He was certainly not in perfect condition, but William was at least presentable. Tanya for her part looked like she hadn't slept at all last night. That wouldn't serve her well in the coming hours.

"You okay?" William questioned, feeling somewhat concerned for his district partner, though they were not allies.

Tanya did not answer him immediately, preferring instead to stare directly into William's couch. Her head rocked back and forth slightly as they passed over a bump in the road, but still Tanya's eyes remained locked on her spot of focus.

"It looks like you didn't sleep at all," William continued, attempting to pry a response from Tanya.

Tanya still didn't answer. William sighed and turned his attention to the windows of the limo, which were completely blacked out, thus preventing them from tracking their path through the Capitol. He wasn't exactly sure why it mattered if they knew where they were going, considering the heavy presence of Peacekeepers and the vast imbalance in weaponry between a potentially runaway tribute and an entire army. Running would lead only to death.

But, because the windows were black, it gave William very little to look at.

"I didn't sleep," Tanya finally spoke, and she sounded like she hadn't slept.

Her eyes stared straight at the couch still even while she spoke. William stayed silent, giving Tanya the space she needed to speak. She already appeared to be fragile, and William didn't particularly want to take her from her openness.

"I couldn't sleep," Tanya said. "I couldn't stop thinking about what might happen when I get in there."

She went silent, her words trailing off. William struggled to believe this was the same girl he saw in last night's interview who was assured of her victory. Now he was looking at a shell of that same person, laid so low by the prospect of her death.

"Sorry," William responded, trying to sound sympathetic, but he truly had no clue what to say.

"Honestly I didn't think this would happen. It didn't seem real until I came back from the interview last night. I might not make it home, and if I do make it home, I'll be a killer. Maybe whoever wins doesn't even deserve to go home."

"But maybe it's not about that," William returned. "Maybe it's just about getting back with whatever you have left of your soul."

Tanya's eyes flicked up from his couch and met William's gaze for the first time since they entered the limo. A sparkle appeared in the blue irises that wasn't there previously, like William's words had spoken to a deep part of Tanya's mind, and that she had understood him completely, taking those words to heart.

Neither spoke for the remainder of the ride in the limo, and when eventually the vehicle did roll to a gentle stop, William felt almost comfortable with Tanya's presence.

He spoke hurriedly, latching on to what were probably his final moments alone with his district partner, who he hadn't really grown close to. In the moment, William finally felt that he needed to be close to someone, someone who wasn't Roslyn that is.

"Tanya, join Peter's alliance with me," William said. "I know you're alone, but you shouldn't be. It isn't safe to go it alone in the Games."

"It isn't safe to rush the cornucopia and fight a bunch of highly trained killing machines," Tanya replied flatly.

William was taken aback by the response, slightly unsure of what to say in return.

"I appreciate your concern William, but I'll be fine. It's you who needs to be careful."

William knew without needing to consider deeply that Tanya was of course correct. He was the one of the two of them who would be taking a tremendous risk by dashing into the Cornucopia seeking career blood after all.

The door was opened for them, revealing a gray morning where the sun was just beginning to peek over the distant horizon. It was the farthest any of them had travelled out from the Capitol since their being brough to the training center.

William stepped out of the limo onto a large slab of asphalt. Little surrounded the area, save two large buildings to his immediate left. Alongside the buildings were enormous warehouses of a proportion William had never conceived before, and inside were real honest to god airplanes. That came as a surprise to see the metallic bird-like vehicles, though these were obviously not made for benign purpose. The rockets hanging below the wings made it clear that they were tools of war.

The planes were not the objects that drew the greatest portion of William's attention. That honor went to a large white vehicle constructed in a vaguely rectangular shape with a propellor at each of the corners. It actually reminded William of the drones he had seen Peacekeepers using for surveillance in District 9, quadcopters they were called.

The giant quadcopter was evidently meant to act as their transportation to the arena. It was easily large enough to house all twenty-four tributes and all twenty-four mentors. Two Peacekeepers stood protectively on either side of a ramp lowered from the back of the quadcopter, no doubt they ensured that a tribute would not attempt escape.

Boarding was somewhat quicker than William had expected, though waiting in the hall of the quadcopter to enter the various rooms provided was somewhat of a pain. Each District was given a quarters on board, a room large enough to accommodate both tributes and mentors, though only two beds were contained within.

William sighed to himself as he stared around the room, thinking to himself of the upcoming battle he faced. Maybe it would be wise to take on Tabby. She was the weakest of the Career group this year, and with Santana and Rel fighting alongside them, the stronger tributes would have their hands full. Then again, there were three younger kids working with him, so maybe it would be best to leave his younger allies a weaker tribute and take on a stronger one himself. Maybe he could fight Murchad. If he could keep the boy from four from grabbing a weapon, William could quite easily overpower him.

He nodded to himself. Murchad it was. Now there was only to wait.

Nebraska Wilmington District 6: 16M

Monday Morning 7:00AM
Time Until Bloodbath: 1hr

Their mentors whispered in the corner opposite Nebraska and Liz. In the final hour before the Games began, he and Liz felt somewhat drawn to each other. They would both be alone when it came to the Games, but for now a little companionship didn't hurt, especially considering that they could be in dire straits very soon.

It was quickly decided that each of them would slow the other down, given their strategies. Nebraska was not particularly good at scavenging food or identifying berries, but he was very stealthy. His plan essentially consisted of avoiding detection as best he could, not setting up a permanent base. Nebraska's more nomadic strategy contrasted with Liz's plan to stay in place with a safe shelter.

He saw that as an oversight on her part, as a roving career pack would be more likely to locate a stationary tribute the longer the Games went on, but a tribute who never stayed in one place for longer than a night would be ghost like and unlocatable. Though, Liz's strategy would ensure she had regular access to food and water, but Nebraska was willing to take the chance that he would go hungry for a day or two in return for going unnoticed by the careers.

"It seems so real now," Liz spoke softly. "I had never imagined this happening to me when I was a kid. Yet here we are."

Nebraska didn't speak in reply. He only stared out the window watching the clouds roll by. Nebraska wasn't sure if the arena would come into sight soon or not, though he suspected the pilots would take whatever measures were necessary to avoid allowing the tributes any glimpse of the arena.

The remainder of the journey passed in total silence. It was not an uncomfortable feeling. Nebraska actually rather enjoyed the peace and quiet. He felt more connected with the world in the silence, plus there was the more practical benefit of increasing his ability to observe those around him.

Finally, the quadcopter landed, rocking them slightly back and forth as it did so. Slowly, over the next few minutes they filed out of their rooms walking slowly towards a small blocky building with a heavy metallic door.

They descended a set of stairs into a large room with multiple passages extending outwards in every direction. It seemed that there was an entire tunnel system constructed just for the purpose of launching the tributes into the arena. What a waste of tax dollars.

"Follow me," a Peacekeeper spoke to Nebraska. "I'll take you to your launch room."

He noticed that other tributes too were being led off down the halls towards their own launch points. Nebraska caught Liz's eye. His district partner sent him a stern nod as she followed another Peacekeeper down a separate hall.

Nebraska sighed heavily to himself, then followed after the Peacekeeper. The halls were mazelike, but it seemed that they were moving steadily in one consistent direction despite all the turns. Nebraska's sense of direction kept him aware of their relative position on the surface level, and they were moving steadily towards something. It had to be the arena.

They hadn't even reached the launch room and Nebraska could already feel his heartrate increasing to astronomical levels. His breathing grew quicker, and he almost tuned out the world around him. That act did not come easy to the nearly paranoid Nebraska. He couldn't stop thinking about the arena now.

What would he see? What would the terrain be like? What supplies would be contained in the cornucopia? What resources could Nebraska find? What dangers would lurk in the shadows?

There were too many possibilities for Nebraska to even begin to consider. In just his lifetime, Nebraska had seen mountain cave arenas, forests, a swamp, and even a beach. He'd also heard stories from some of the elders in District 6 that the Games had been held in Urban arenas before.

That would be a best-case scenario for Nebraska. He'd lived his entire life dashing around city streets, ducking down back allies, and dodging Peacekeepers. Plus, it would mean he wouldn't have to hunt to find food. Combining his natural sense of direction with his mastery of the tactical retreat maneuver, Nebraska could have a real chance of survival in an urban arena.

Unfortunately, those were unbelievably rare, and it was likely he would see a forest, which would not play to Nebraska's skills nearly as well.

His mind scrambled to develop a plan of action. He needed to know what to do the instant he surfaced into the arena so that he could spend the entire countdown observing the area, figuring out which way to run, and how exactly to avoid the patches of ground that would cause him to slip and fall.

Nebraska had absolutely no interest in gathering supplies from the Cornucopia. Given the all-out war that would take place the instant the countdown hit zero, dashing in to gather supplies would be far too risky.

The launch room was bare save for the small glass cylinder that would raise him to the Cornucopia. Nebraska's heart beat even faster. If he did make it back, hopefully hypertension wouldn't become an issue.

At long last, Nebraska took his place in the tube, and moments later he felt the floor raising. Gradually the launch room disappeared, and Nebraska was surrounded by the pure blackness of the tube.

It was so close now. The battle of life and death, the fight of his life, was just a few feet over his head now.

Nebraska felt like panicking. He was nearly hyperventilating, but Nebraska pushed down his great concern and managed to control himself. He had to think clearly now. Nebraska had to think clearly, or he would die. It was just that simple.

Nebraska tilted his head back and looked to the surface as the tube ascended into…darkness?

Peter Vogel District 12: 15M

Monday Morning
Day 1: 8:00AM
Cornucopia

What Peter saw as he was raised from the depths of the Earth was rather shocking. It wasn't like any Cornucopia he had ever seen before, though he hadn't seen all that many Cornucopias to be fair. But it was so bizarre that Peter almost questioned it was real. He couldn't believe that such a structure could exist, and it existed largely in darkness.

They all came up from the ground in a large circle with no organization directing the placement of each tribute. Peter counted himself fortunate to have Edison standing on the circle to his right, and on his left was Ayla. At least he wouldn't be attacked by a career on the spot. Next to Edison stood Scott, and Cassie was on Scott's right, making her the closest career.

Peter watched Cassie smirk slightly, containing her laughter as she surveyed the area, then turned towards Scott.

"You'll get what you deserve asshole," Cassie hissed lowly.

In the center of their great circle was a massive rectangularly shaped structure made from some dark gray rock heavily polished to shine under the minimal light. Atop the rectangle was a marble fountain that appeared as a four-pointed star laying parallel to the flat top of the polished stone pillar. It spewed water from each point, aligning with each side of the pillar, where carved grooves then extended down the length of the stone forming intricate patterns that all came together in a larger flow of water at the base of the pillar.

It was then that Peter realized that the fountain-like Cornucopia was three-tiered, where the marble fountain made the third tier, the rectangular pillar made the second, and the first tier was the ground they stood upon. Peter peered over the edge of the first tier, which was a much larger version of the stone pillar, finding the ground to be far far below, maybe twenty or thirty feet. The only way he saw to access the ground level was by sets of stairs located at each of the four corners of the larger pillar.

The water flowing from the fountain quartered the top of the first tier, leaving six tributes in each of the four sections. Flowing onward, Peter could see the water dropping over the edge of the first tier into much larger, almost river like flows at the base of the fountain. From atop the fountain, it was difficult to estimate the exact width of the water flows, but Peter assumed them to be roughly somewhere around twenty feet, and who knew how deep.

What gave the fountain its unusual appearance was the quality of the water. It was a gleaming white color that seemed to glow, providing the light necessary in the dark environment. Overhead, Peter could see no evidence of a sky, almost as if they were in some sort of crypt or cave.

Supplies were strewn around the base of the fountain, backpacks mostly, but little in the way of weapons. Only, there were doors on each of the second tier's four walls, accessible by small walkways that surrounded the base. Likely, the inside of the fountain would contain weaponry. Peter would need to get to the center to have any hope of facing the careers.

Across the small water flow in the next quadrant over, Peter noticed Jason calling out Santana's location, no doubt to ensure the ex-career would face opponents on the way to the fountain. There was a connection between each quadrant beyond the narrow entrance point to the fountain. A bridge spanned the gap over the water, allowing tributes to cross and engage in combat without being forced to clear the ten-foot-wide gap between them.

Peter exhaled deeply as the countdown lowered from sixty to twenty seconds. He turned to Edison and nodded. The younger boy nodded in return, understanding without words that Peter intended for them to work as a team, which would give them better odds against career opponents.

The timer hung in the sky, flashing large red numbers as the seconds ticked by. With ten seconds left, the timer started beeping loudly, echoing around the structure of the fountain, and the tributes around the circle prepared to run.

Peter smiled to himself, thinking of an old poem he'd heard once. He didn't know the name, but he remembered one important line as all his work dwindled down to this singular moment in time.

Theirs not to reason why

Theirs but to do and die

With a beep of finality then the loud sounding of a claxon, the clock hit zero.

Peter sprinted off towards the central fountain, Edison just behind, but not before he watched Cassie jump kick the shit out of Scott, sending him tumbling to the ground. Ignoring the rest of that combat, Peter pushed himself even harder in the direction of the fountain.

Behind him, he heard a yelp from Scott, then a splashing sound. As he approached the door, he glanced back to find Cassie holding Scott face down in the water. Peter threw the door open with Edison joining him, and they rushed into the Cornucopia together.

Inside, the pillar was much the same as the outside, with water flow patterns in the wall, but no adornments on the floor. The walls held a few different weapons, and rations lay on top of a central table.

Peter had no more time to consider the overall layout of the room as a sword whipped directly toward his head. Peter cried out in shock and ducked just in time while the blade of the sword scythed through a few rogue hairs atop his head.

He saw the attacker was Jason who held a short sword in his hand. The sword ripped back and struck out at Peter in a thrusting motion. In response, Peter jumped back as quickly as he could, but Jason quickly flicked the blade up at the end of his thrust, cutting Peter's bicep open.

Peter hissed in pain and dove away as Jason attacked again. He rolled to his feet just in time to watch a hatchet flying through the air, spinning end over end. With a thunk, it buried itself in Edison's forehead the second he stepped through the door. Edison's eyes went wide as his mind registered the pain only to die a moment later. The impact from the hatchet was enough to knock Edison flat on his back with blood and brain matter bursting from the wound.

Jason landed a powerful kick on Peter's body as he lay struggling to his feet. Peter flipped and tumbled over, his side aching. He saw Kendra and William burst into the room just as the cold steel blade of Jason's sword pierced Peter's side.

Peter gasped, not having the energy to scream. He felt the blood flowing freely from his body and pooling on the floor.

Time seemed to slow, as Peter observed the chaos that erupted beneath the fountain. Edison was dead, Peter himself was dying, William was locked in combat with Tyto, and Kendra faced Murchad.

William and Tyto were both weaponless, William because he had just entered the cornucopia and Tyto because he had thrown his hatchet. They wrestled, each trying to gain control over the other. Tyto flipped William over his hip and William crashed into the floor heavily. William fought back with a kick, landing a blow on Tyto's stomach. The lumberjack stumbled away while William struggled to his feet.

Then, stepping over Peter's head, Jason launched his sword end over end into William's neck. Blood spurted in every direction as the sword embedded itself in the wood of the door wobbling back and forth.

Kendra had lifted a machete from the wall and faced Murchad in a losing combat where he shoved her back with a spear. She backed up, exiting through the door and kicking Murchad in the gut.

It seemed the great plan to eliminate the careers from contention had flopped. Their team was crumbling, with two now dead and one more dying slowly. Santana and Rel were nowhere to be found, though Peter expected Santana was being attacked by multiple assailants right now. Rel was probably fighting in Santana's defense. He hadn't even seen Mila at all. Hopefully she was okay.

Tyto dashed out the door after Murchad probably looking to help, but Jason remained behind picking a knife off the wall and squatting down in front of Peter.

"Sorry it didn't work out," Jason said, sounding genuinely regretful.

"Did Tyto tell you?" Peter asked, inferring that Jason was well aware of his plan and reaching the first and most logical conclusion available to him.

"He did. Tyto's a good guy."

"Traitor…" Peter's words trailed off weakly as the world around grew slightly fuzzy.

Jason chuckled to himself as he slowly twirled the knife in his fingers.

"Credit to you for trying kid," Jason said. "That took balls."

Peter felt the knife gently penetrate the skin of his neck. Hot blood pooled beneath his head, and the world faded away.

Santana Perez District 1: 18M

Monday Morning
Day 1: 8:00AM
Cornucopia

The moment Santana emerged above the ground, he saw that Peter's plan was doomed to fail. The majority of the weaponry would be located inside the central fountain, and for all his bravado and desires of a glorious end to his life, Santana knew that walking inside would be a death trap. He could be outnumbered two or three to one with the help of a couple of his incompetent allies. Santana didn't want his vengeance against Jason that badly. He could kill Jason later, but it was foolish to attempt to do so now.

Unfortunately, Eydis was only two spots away from him, with just Brooke between them. Santana was certain he would face contention from her. Then, Tabby was at the edge of his quadrant right next to the glowing white water.

Santana spotted Rel in the next quadrant over. He waved his arms and called out, drawing the cowboy's attention. He even wore that same cowboy hat he had on in last night's interview. At least he would look stylish during the games, unlike the rest of them who wore the same gray and black jumpsuit.

"Get supplies, then get out!" Santana called out to Rel, just as Jason called for Eydis and Tabby to delay Santana's progress. "I'll see if I can get a weapon or two! Use the stairs to get down!"

Rel flashed a thumbs up back, then lowered himself into a sprinter's stance, prepared to snatch up one of the backpacks laying around the area. Meanwhile, Santana planned out his attack strategy.

Two on one with no weapons could go bad very quickly, as there was little Santana could do to keep Tabby and Eydis at bay, but if he found a weapon, or even something resembling a weapon, he could have a chance. Just about ten yards ahead of him, a silver baseball bat lay on the ground invitingly, almost like it was meant for him. It was no sword, but it would have to do.

At the sound of the claxon, Santana sprinted away. He heard a cry of surprise and pain from the opposite side of the fountain, but ignored it, diving for the bat.

Santana rolled to his feet to see Rel going after a backpack with no opposition. He gripped the bat in one hand, finding it to be quite light, probably because it was constructed from aluminum. Brooke dashed past, snatching a backpack while Eydis held a short knife on his right-hand side and Tabby blocked his shortest path to the stairs, though she held no weapon.

He had to get down the stairs. If he was caught up here for too long, eventually his former allies would surround him, and he would be dead.

"So Jason's too much of a bitch to come after me himself?" Santana questioned, pointing his bat outward at Eydis then Tabby.

"It's called strategy asshole," Tabby shot back, taking up a defensive stance.

Eydis didn't seem to have any interest in pre-battle conversation. She simply rushed him with her knife. Santana danced backward, taking a swing at Eydis with his bat simultaneously, only for Eydis to gracefully dodge the attack and close the gap. She attacked with a vicious thrust which Santana blocked with his free hand. He felt a sudden powerful blow strike his back and quickly shoved Eydis's knife hand aside to avoid impaling himself on her knife.

Santana floated backwards, turning towards his attackers, now more firmly blocking his exit.

"Come on now," Santana taunted. "That's all you've got?"

Tabby charged him this time, just barely edging past the swing of Santana's bat, only to be hit by his second redirected swing. She grunted as the bat slammed into her ribs but threw a kick at Santana anyway while Eydis tried to flank him.

Santana grabbed either end of his bat and jammed it straight down on Tabby's shin, blocking the kick. His district partner winced in pain, then Santana lashed out at Eydis with a back kick, keeping her at bay for a moment.

Returning to Tabby who still hadn't yet put her foot on the ground, Santana swung a hook punch at her face with his right hand still gripping the bat. The punch connected with a satisfying smack, then he jammed the butt of the bat forward at Tabby's forehead, sending her stumbling back and splitting the skin slightly.

Santana felt Eydis's approaching thrust, and leaned back slightly to avoid it, only he fell victim to the redirected slash at his side. The cut was shallow, but still painful. He hissed in pain and brought the bat around with a wide one-handed swing at Eydis's head. She managed to bring her arms up just in time to block the blow, but the sheer force of the impact sent her tumbling to the ground.

With one of his foes out of commission for the moment, now was Santana's chance to escape. But, just then, Murchad burst out the door into the fountain, pushing Kendra back with his spear in hand while she wielded a machete herself. Tyto followed moments later with still no sign of Jason. Murchad's back arched in pain as the little girl from eight, Mila hit him in the back with a knife. She must've been hiding around the corner waiting to surprise attack someone.

Murchad wheeled around and swung the heavy spear with such force that Mila's head was separated from her shoulders in a red explosion. But Santana had no time to focus on the glorious red shower because Tabby was recovering now, and Eydis was struggling back to her feet.

Santana knew he couldn't go down the stairs. That would take too long. He hoped the water at the very base of the fountain was deep.

In an all-out sprint, Santana dashed towards the edge of the fountain. Simultaneously, he twirled his bat once and whipped the bat on an upward angle in the direction of Tabby's face. He felt the bones crunch sickeningly under the impact. Blood spattered his face and Tabby's body flipped into the white water, staining it a deep red color.

With bat still in hand, Santana leapt over the edge of the fountain. The wind whipped past his ears, and as he looked back in the direction from which he had come he could see the red stained water flowing down the side of the fountain. It was beautiful.

The water crashed as Santana broke its surface. A brief pain enveloped him, seizing his lungs in a vice like grip. Now in the water, Santana found it to be quite deep, maybe twenty feet or so, plenty to slow his fall before he hit the bottom. He swam towards the surface, surrounded by the strange white liquid which he could see through for unknown reasons.

Santana gasped for breath as his head appeared in the air again. Risky moves like that could really take a lot out of you.

"You're insane," the unmistakable raspy voice of Rel admonished. "Now come on, we need to get out of here."

Santana gripped the wall and pushed himself out of the water with a hand up from Rel. They fled the fountain in a brisk jog, finding there to be an end to the path they travelled. Now Santana knew why it was so dark. It was because they were surrounded by that dark gray rock, trapped in a box.

However, at the end of the flow of white water, just as was the case at the top of the fountain, a walkway was constructed to allow access to a door. Only this door didn't look like a door. It was elliptical in shape, a golden ring with a swirling purple interior. Implanted into the rock just above the odd ellipse was a large golden number three.

"What the hell?" Rel questioned in obvious frustration. "Are we supposed to go through that thing?"

"Only one way to find out," Santana answered with a great deal more self-assurance than he felt at that moment.

He walked straight towards the purple and gold ellipse, which didn't look solid, water still dripping from his hair. Santana peered at the thing for a moment, hoping he would spot some indication as to its purpose, but he saw nothing, so Santana took a tentative step out and found himself transported through the portal.

Eydis Agnarsson District 4: 17F

Monday Morning
Day 1: 8:05AM
Cornucopia

Eydis was on her hands and knees when she saw Santana bash Tabby's face in with his bat. He didn't even stop to watch her fall, as the blood and brain matter splattered everywhere. The ground grew slick with red, and Tabby's body flipped over and splashed down into the water. Santana dove off the edge of the fountain in dramatic fashion.

Climbing to her feet, Eydis followed after Santana, looking over the edge tentatively. There wasn't really any way to tell the depth of the water from atop the fountain, but it had to be decently deep, seeing as Santana popped up above the surface a few moments later. He joined Rel, and they made for the edge of the Cornucopia room together, stepping through a large portal like object labeled number three. She saw other groups doing the same, the duo from three along with Eira entered the fourth portal, and Liz entered alone into the number one portal.

She turned her attention back to the conflict with Kendra, the only remaining tribute from Peter's alliance she assumed. Murchad engaged her in combat with his spear against her machete while Tyto, who held no weapon himself, tried to find an opening to attack. Jason was nowhere to be seen and neither was Cassie.

Kendra held her own against Murchad, trying to work her way around him to make an escape similar to Santana's. Eydis wasn't going to let that happen, and she had an advantage. Kendra had no clue she was there.

Eydis felt remorseful sneaking up on someone and killing them from the shadows, and she didn't want to hurt Kendra. The blonde seemed nice, but she also knew that death was an unfortunate necessity of these Games.

Kendra was backed up further by Murchad, unable to turn her back. If she did, she would be hit by a flying spear, and she wouldn't have a chance of survival at all. Unfortunately for Kendra, she didn't know that she didn't have a chance of escape under any circumstances.

Eydis silently stepped behind Kendra, hoping that Murchad wouldn't swing wildly and accidently hit her. She planted a powerful kick to the back of Kendra's knee, buckling her. Kendra cried out in shock, flailing her arms in an attempt to keep her balance. The blonde fell to her knees just as Eydis ripped her knife across Kendra's throat.

Kendra made gurgling noises as blood spurted from her throat, spraying Murchad right in the face. The girl from twelve flopped on her side quickly bleeding out.

Murchad spat blood from his mouth and wiped his eyes, clearing the red from his face before looking back to Eydis.

"Nice moves Eydis," he complimented with a wide smile, the white teeth strongly contrasting the blood smeared around his face.

"Thanks," she replied, feeling more confident than usual. "Is that it?"

"Everyone's either dead or escaped I think," Tyto answered. "Where's Tabby?"

"Oh shit…" Eydis swore then dropped her knife and took off in the direction of the water flow where she'd seen Tabby fall.

Cassie clambered up from the water channel directly perpendicular to the one where Tabby fell. She was soaking wet, her hair hanging in ropes down her back. The two girl stumbled towards them appearing exhausted. Meanwhile, Jason exited the central fountain, sword in hand and eyes alert. Though, once he gathered that the conflict was over, he lowered his weapon gratefully.

Eydis splashed down into the water right next to Tabby who floated face down. The water was stained a dark red and came up only to Eydis's waist.

"What ha-" Tyto started to speak but was cut off by the sound of cannon fire.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven shots.

"Seven?" Cassie called out in question as she dragged her feet towards where the rest of them were gathered.

"Is that Tabby?" Jason asked hesitantly.

Eydis rolled her body over and fought back the urge to vomit. At the same time, she felt tears rising in her eyes, but she held them back. Tabby might have been her friend, but Eydis wasn't going to lose her cool in front of the others. She could process her emotions later.

"Santana got her," Eydis replied simply. "He jumped over the edge and escaped."

"Damn him," came Cassie's vehement reply.

Jason seethed in silence, but it was obvious he was angrier than any of them.

Eydis couldn't take her eyes off the dead body of the girl she'd only just started to get to know. Her once rather pretty face, though it was often twisted into a sneer, was now completely caved in. The convex shape that a head was supposed to take on now was totally concave, like a cereal bowl. Only, this bowl held blood and congealed brain matter.

"Hey," Murchad spoke softly as he knelt down next to the edge of the water. "Come on. It'll be okay. We'll get that son of a bitch."

Eydis took in a deep breath, then took Murchad's proffered hand and stood from the water.

"So who did we get?" Jason asked, remaining ever clinical.

Eydis felt a slight scraping against her soul as Jason moved on from Tabby's death so quickly. Though, she supposed everyone had their own ways of dealing with grief. Jason's might have been to stay focused on a goal.

"I took out Scott," Cassie answered. "But he put up a way better fight than I thought he would."

"Good," Jason responded. "I got William and Peter, and I saw Tyto get Edison. Nice throw with the hatchet by the way. So that's four."

"I killed Mila," Murchad said, sounding deeply regretful. "She was just a little girl man…"

"Five," Jason added, while simultaneously moving the conversation past Murchad's sadness. "Kendra's there, so that makes six."

"I got her," Eydis spoke up. "And then Tabby is seven."

The group fell into a desolate silence. Getting back to work now would be hard. Each of them, save Tyto, had been trained from their youth for this very moment, but they hadn't come face to face with the ultimate destruction they would cause.

Peter had built up an elaborate plan to attack their alliance, and even with superior numbers, his group hadn't stood a chance. There was something deeply sad about that fact.

"Where did they go anyway?" Cassie asked. "The ones who got away I mean."

"There're portals down at the base of each wall," Eydis said. "At least, I think they're portals because I watched Santana and Rel disappear through one."

"Portals?" Tyto asked. "You're serious?"

"We should go check this place out anyway," Jason said. "We need to know what sort of terrain we have to defend."

"That's sound strategy," Cassie agreed. "How about you go through the weapons and supplies up here Jason, while the rest of us check out the portals?"

However, the instant they made to go about their tasks, Murchad groaned in sudden pain, and twisted his arm to reach around his back.

Eydis quickly rushed to his side and removed his hand from what she saw was a deep knife wound.

"What happened?" Eydis asked in concern, while the others stopped in their tracks.

"Mila stabbed me in the back while I was fighting Kendra," Murchad replied through gritted teeth. "Shit that hurts."

"It's deep," Eydis said, inspecting his wound. "What kind of medical supplies do we have?"

"I'll go check," Tyto replied, quickly dashing towards the interior of the fountain.

Eydis urged Murchad to sit with his back against the pillar for support. He complied, tentatively lowering himself. Eydis gripped his hand comfortingly while Murchad smiled weakly in return.

"Come on Cassie," Jason spoke up. "We can check out those portals while they look after Murchad."

Cassie nodded, her eyes on Murchad. Both tributes from District 2 turned their backs and descended the nearest staircase.

"How do you feel?" Eydis questioned.

"Been better," Murchad chuckled to himself, then winced at the pain the laughter was causing him. "Just glad you're okay."

"Me too," Eydis replied with a light smile. "But you need to worry about you. After all you got stabbed, and I only have a few bruises."

"Seeing Tabby like that is just…" Murchad trailed off with a shake of his head.

"I know."

Eydis gripped Murchad's hand harder, hoping for his sake that there would be enough medical supplies to doctor up his stab wound.

Tessa Scotch District 11: 18F

Monday Afternoon
Day 1: 3:00PM
Sector 4

Brooke's feet tapped lightly against the ground, while Tessa's made far more noise. But, as far as she was aware, there was no one following behind them. That was rather fortunate, considering that the more combative half of their alliance was somewhere completely different.

In the bloodbath, it proved too risky to seek out Matt and Butch actively, so Tessa and Brooke, who thankfully was nearby, grabbed what they could, then ran for the nearest exit. The instant they stepped through the swirling portal, Tessa felt basically nothing. The portal did not affect their ability to move in the slightest, but on the other side was a completely different world from the dark fountain with the glowing water.

Brooke and Tessa currently wandered aimlessly through a forest, searching for any sort of safe place to remain for the night. She had no idea if any of the other portals – for there must have been others if the one they entered was called number four – led into this forest as well, or if they led into different environments entirely.

It was deeply concerning, considering that she hadn't seen anything like this in her time. The arenas were constructed as one massive landscape with the cornucopia at its center, but this arena it seemed was subdivided into multiple landscapes, accessible only through portals. That was both advantageous and not. Advantageous because it would make it possible to form a uniquely defensible camp, but disadvantageous because it would make it easier for the careers to track them. All they had to know was that someone entered portal four, and they quartered their odds of locating tributes.

Being located now could spell disaster for them, as they would be outnumbered and outmatched in terms of skill. But, there had been seven cannon shots earlier. One of those seven shots could have been for Matt or Butch.

Tessa shook herself brutally. No. It wouldn't be either of them. They both knew the plan was just to get out as quick as possible. Brooke had taken a chance by taking a backpack, but now Tessa was glad she had. Between them they had a knife, a small canteen filled with water, a first aid kit, and two protein bars. The food and water would be enough to get them through the day, but after they would need to find their own food. Luckily, Brooke was a fisherman.

All they had to do was find a body of water.

"How far out do you think we are now?" Brooke asked.

The young girl was fit and tough, but she could hide her tired eyes from Tessa. She knew Brooke could only continue for so much longer. After all, she had to take two steps for every one that Tessa took.

"A few miles probably," Tessa answered. "And a lot of that was through pretty dense foliage."

"It's already late afternoon," Brooke said. "We should probably look for a place to camp soon. I'm glad you're good at building shelters."

Tessa chuckled to herself, appreciating Brooke's unceasing spirit. The girl could not be dragged down by any circumstances, an admirable quality, especially for one so young. Tessa felt herself dragging, mostly because she missed Matt, but she did her best to emulate her young comrade and soldier on.

"But it only took us a few hours to get out here," Tessa said. "I bet any careers who go through that door can make that distance in less time after a good breakfast and a night of sleep."

Brooke grimaced, a serious look Tessa wasn't exactly used to seeing on her face.

"Let's go a little further," Tessa urged. "Maybe we can find a cave or something?"

"A cave?" Brooke spoke thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea."

"We'd be lucky to find anything," Tessa said. "But at least we'll get a little extra distance in while we're looking."

Brooke nodded in acceptance of Tessa's plan, and they continued on. Tessa's feet started to drag from exhaustion as well. She hadn't taken a single drink from the canteen, and they hadn't eaten anything since this morning. But going without lunch wasn't a great sacrifice. It was the lack of water that punished them now. If they didn't drink soon, they could be in for a rough night.

They searched fruitlessly for a few hours, finding the forest to continue on an upward slope, moving towards something. Brooke had then pointed out that they should move downhill if they wanted to find a source of water where they could drink, and she could fish. So, they adjusted course and continued, but as the day went on and their fatigue grew, Tessa only found her pain increasing.

Matt was nowhere to be found, and he might not be ever again. Why the hell did she leave him? She knew he had made a stupid decision, deciding to enter the Games, but she still loved him. His natural instinct had always been to act as a protector, whether to her or anyone else, and it seemed that it was too much to ask for his rationality to overcome his instincts. But, that was why she loved him, because he was kind and gentle but also willing to risk his life to save others.

Eventually the surrounding forest began to darken, and they set about gathering supplies for their camp. There were plenty of stray branches about, enough to construct a lean-to easily. Brooke used the knife to cut the branches to size while Tessa picked a spot between two trees whose branches had grown together and leaned the basic structure against the trunks. Using leafier branches as roofing pieces, Tessa was able to put together a shelter that would hopefully keep warmth in and water out.

Starting a fire proved to be far more difficult. It wasn't a specialty of Brooke's, and Tessa hadn't picked up that skill very quickly.

"Do you think we'll find them?" Brooke asked, sounding unsure.

"We have to," Tessa said. "We're stronger as a team."

Brooke opened her mouth to speak again but was drowned out by a blaring sound in the sky. It was the Capitol anthem, meaning that they would soon show the pictures of the lost tributes that day.

Tessa's heart raced, knowing that she would either find great happiness there, or at least closure in knowing what had really happened to her husband.

The first face that appeared was Tabby Gold's.

"One of the careers is gone," Brooke breathed a sigh of relief.

Next was Edison, and Tessa found herself enveloped in enormous sadness at seeing his face. She knew that could be Jonas in a few years, and that terrified her. Mila Arkwright too had fallen. Two young tributes so soon. She was joined by her district partner Scott. Good riddance in Tessa's opinion.

He was followed by William, then Kendra, then finally Peter. The entire alliance constructed by Peter for the sole purpose of eliminating the careers had been removed from contention, except for Santana and Rel, but Tessa got the feeling that the two of them had dashed off, leaving the others to fend for themselves.

Most importantly though, Matt and Butch were still alive.

"They're alive," Brooke spoke the same thought that had just occurred to Tessa.

"We're lucky," Tessa replied with a smile.

She returned to her attempts of fire starting, knowing that her happiness would be enough to keep her warm throughout the night, even if they probably wouldn't have a fire.

Tanya Mills District 9: 17F

Monday Night
Day 1: 9:00AM
Sector 1

Tanya knew she should probably stop for the night. Wandering around in the dark was absolutely foolish, but with the light of the moon to guide her, she felt completely assured of herself, even when she probably should not have.

The terrain through the number one portal proved to be nothing like the fountain. It was almost like Tanya walked through some sort of mystical valley. Giant bamboo shoots rose hundreds of feet into the air in the valley below her, and plenty of massive trees were interspersed amongst the bamboo.

Tanya however did not descend into the valley. She walked along the cliffs overlooking the valley where the trees were thinner, as it would make it easier for her to monitor her surroundings. Mostly though, she made for a waterfall which she spotted the instant she stepped through the portal. With no supplies to call her own, Tanya knew she had to find water quickly or she would be a goner, but odds were anyone else who went through portal one would be thinking the same thing.

In fact, the odds were one hundred percent. Tanya followed a set of footprints embedded into the soft earth layered on top of the rocks that made up the cliffs. The footprints were small and could only belong to one of a few tributes, and that pool had been considerably shrunk in the Bloodbath this morning. They had to belong to a younger tribute, and Edison and Mila were dead now. So that left Brooke and Liz, but Brooke was probably travelling with her companions, meaning that Tanya was probably tracking Liz.

She wasn't exactly sure why she followed the prints. There was very little to be gained from going after the prints, but if Liz was heading for the waterfall, then Tanya would eventually find it by following in her steps. Hopefully she wouldn't encounter Liz along the way. Tanya didn't particularly want to be forced into taking action against Liz.

Tanya ducked under a low hanging branch as her thoughts drifted to her family and friends back home. What were they thinking watching her now? They were probably still awake. She actually doubted Timothy would be able to sleep much at all for the next few days. Chris was certainly smoking enough to give people cancer from the secondhand smoke. And what about Noah? She'd only just had her first kiss as she'd been drug away from home. Now she was wherever the hell this place was.

"Jesus Christ," Tanya mumbled to herself. "Homesick already girl?"

She scoffed and shook her head, telling herself to get her head in the game. If she didn't, she'd be dead just like Tabby who had never had a real understanding of just what the Games entailed.

Then, like a miracle, just up ahead Tanya saw a fast-flowing river, dropping over the edge of the cliffs with a loud roar.

"Thought I'd never find you," Tanya commented with a small smirk.

"Thought you'd never show up," a menacing voice spoke behind her.

"W-," Tanya made to whirl around to face her assailant. She thought she recognized Liz's voice but couldn't be sure.

"Don't move," Liz warned stonily. "I have a knife, and I'll stab you if you turn around."

Tanya sighed and raised her hands to show she meant no harm. She would avoid harming Liz if at all possible.

"How'd you know I was here?" Tanya asked.

"You're louder than a herd of elephants," Liz stated.

"In my defense, I didn't know anyone else was around."

"Well, I was around unfortunately for you. So, here's how this is going to go: you're going to drop whatever supplies you have on the ground, then I'm going to leave. You are going to wait exactly thirty seconds before turning around, or you'll get a knife to the back. Don't come after me, don't try to look for me. If I see you again, or hear you again more appropriately, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?"

Tanya was mildly unnerved by the steely determination in Liz's voice and her apparent apathy. She was far more threatening than Tanya had first guessed, but Tanya knew the girl was far too small to take her one-on-one. That would be a losing battle, even with a knife.

"I don't have any supplies," Tanya said.

"You're lying," Liz shot back quickly.

"I'm not. I don't have anything. I couldn't decide what to do when the timer went off, so by the time I decided to run and grab something, all the stuff was gone, so I just ran."

That was true actually, and Tanya hated herself for that fact. Freezing had cost her a great deal.

"Dumbass," Liz laughed. "Alright then. Keep your back turned Tanya."

She heard the gentle footsteps backing away.

"Wait Liz," Tanya called out.

The footsteps stopped, obviously surprised by something, though Tanya wasn't exactly sure what. Maybe it was the fact that she'd identified her assailant. Liz waited, probably wanting to know what Tanya was going to say next.

"How about we both get something out of this?" Tanya continued. "You came here for supplies, and I came for the water, but we both found something better than what we were looking for."

Tanya could practically hear Liz's incredulous skepticism ringing through the air.

"Can you tell me why you didn't just stab me on the spot?" Tanya asked. "It would have been more tactical. I'm a larger more skilled opponent, and if I turned around, there's no guarantee you would have been able to beat me."

There was just the briefest pause before Liz spoke, and it was just enough for Tanya to be sure of her suspicions.

"I was feeling generous," Liz said in annoyance.

Tanya was no conversational master, but she could recognize an obvious lie. A cleverly disguised one, she might have more trouble with. This one though, Tanya was absolutely sure was a lie.

"You don't have a knife do you?" Tanya asked.

Liz's silence was all the answer she needed. Tanya turned to find Liz standing half in the shadow of a tree, glaring at her. Tanya sent a cocky smirk Liz's way. The girl had a backpack on, indicating that she did have some supplies, but she probably didn't have water or weaponry. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bluffed in the exchange just now, and if she had water, she wouldn't be here in the first place.

"Fine," Liz grumbled. "You got me, but you were talking about what we found that was more important than water or supplies."

"We found each other Liz," Tanya replied.

Liz cocked a single eyebrow.

"Think about it," Tanya pressed. "The two of us, we'd make a good team. You're tough and obviously good in the forest, though I don't have a damn clue how seeing as you're from District 6 and all. But, you'd benefit from having a trained fighter like me on your side."

Liz still remained silent as a stone.

"Come on. There're still five careers out there if you count Tyto, plus Matt, Butch, and that crazy asshole Tesler. We're safer if we stick together."

With her piece finished, Tanya quieted and awaited Liz's response. It was a long time before Liz did say anything.

"I don't like it, but you're right," Liz complained. "And at least you can be a human shield so I can run away because we don't have any weapons."

Tanya released a breath she hadn't even known she was holding. Finally, she'd found an ally, albeit a reluctant one, but an ally nonetheless.

"Come on," Liz jerked her head. "I'll show you where the source of the river is."

Liz disappeared into the forest, and Tanya followed behind her relieved to not only be alive, but also not to be alone.

Eulogies

24th Place: Scott Winston District 8: 16M: wiifan2002
"I don't give a fuck, God sent me to piss the world off." - Eminem
Okay, technically he died a little later than twenty-fourth, but let's be honest, he was dead long before that. From the very beginning I had Scott pegged as a Bloodbath. He was just too antagonistic, and pissing people off right before you fight them to the death is never a good idea. To be fair though, I actually started liking Scott quite a lot once I began writing his POVs. I know many of you guys found him to be basically an asshole – he was – but I actually thought he was pretty funny sometimes. I got pretty attached to the guy, and believe it or not I am sad to see him go. At least my man had a great time during his interview.
RIP Scott

23rd Place: Edison Oswald District 5: 13M: illuminating-spirit
"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." - George Bernard Shaw
Ah, my poor guy! I really liked Edison, even though I consistently felt like I never did him justice in my portrayal of him. He dealt with a lot of hardship over his short life, and undeservedly so. Yet, right till the end he was fighting on, standing alongside Peter in his death. I know many of you will be sad to see him go, as you had high hopes for him, but unfortunately only one tribute can win, and I never really saw it being Edison. Couple that with my lack of ability to come up with decent arcs for him – which is my failing not Edison's – and he unfortunately met his end. So sad he never really had anyone to tell him what Mr. Shaw states above.
RIP Edison

22nd Place: William Young District 9: 18M: Paradigm of Writing
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."-Robert Frost
So sad to see you go William. I actually enjoyed writing his POVs a good bit, but he was unfortunately drowned out by many of the loud obnoxious (in a good way) personalities. He was just a nice guy, keeping to himself and contemplating life. He fought hard, but sadly he was roped in with the wrong alliance this year. But, the opportunities William gave me to scratch my philosophical itch were wonderful. Sorry he becomes a Bloodbath once again (I'm pretty sure I read in a review that William was a resub). But, as everyone knows, the muscle of the team is completely doomed in every story ever.
RIP William

21st Place: Peter Vogel District 12: 15M: Very New To This
"Courage my friends, 'tis not too late to build a better world.'" - Tommy Douglas
Peter was one of the coolest tributes I received in all honesty. His personality was complex and his backstory, which I wish I had touched on more, was fascinating. But, unfortunately for Peter, he became the victim of his role, as so many great men do. Peter ceased to be Peter the human and started to become Peter the crusader. He had a desire to change the status quo forever, which is admirable. Bringing in new ideas is always welcome, but unfortunately for him, a few people stood in his way (Looking at you Tesler), and his plan was derailed. Peter continued on anyway in the face of insurmountable odds, determined to change the world. I certainly can't fault him for that.
RIP Peter

20th Place: Mila Arkwright District 8: 13F: Very New To This
"The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity." - Leo Tolstoy
So sorry Mila! Sadly, I only really started liking her when I wrote that little scene where she was interacting with Edison. By that point, I already had the story planned out, meaning placements and all on a day-by-day schedule. But still, Mila did not insert herself terribly well into many different plot points thanks to her personality, and unfortunately, her skill set was lacking when it came to combat. She was my first pick to join Peter's alliance back when I was planning just because it seems that was the most logical way to help people, in her unique way of course. But, I did start to enjoy her quite a bit, even if I found her altruistic purpose of living solely for others incorrect.
RIP Mila

19th Place: Tabitha "Tabby" Gold District 1: 18F: wiifan2002
"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill
Tabby was another wonderful tribute, adding an element of traditional career attitude in amongst all the rebels, lovebirds, and self-servers. In the beginning she was a little bland, but she did start to have some distinct personality as I started getting a better feel for her. Near the end, she did start to understand a little of her failings, but just too late. She was supremely outmatched by the other careers and even Tyto, which was ultimately her downfall. Tabby was never really talented enough to be a volunteer, but as ever, her overconfidence really killed her, literally in this case.
RIP Tabby

18th Place: Kendra Shogana District 12: 18F: treble-notes
"Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something." - Plato
I feel like Kendra is one of those tributes that would have been better if I was making this some sort of animation or TV series. The albinism didn't have a chance to be mentioned often because it was never terribly relevant, but I really loved her. She never spoke unless she really had to, and never asserted herself over anyone else. Kendra even took up Peter's crusade as her own, willing to fight alongside him even at her own expense. I feel like she had great potential if she hadn't been so nice.
RIP Kendra

There it is my friends! The Bloodbath at long last! No Capitol POV this chapter because I really wanted to highlight the whole experience and not interrupt it with more espionage shenanigans.

So, a quick explanation of the arena without spoiling too much. It is separated into five sections: the fountain, Sector 1, Sector 2, Sector 3, and Sector 4. Each sector has its own challenges and beneficial elements, and each is also a direct reference to one form of fiction or another, but I won't give away exactly what yet. Furthermore, the whole arena ties together in a most interesting way that I haven't seen in any SYOT before, but once again I'll withhold my information on that because it does relate to the plot pretty majorly.

Thanks, so much guys for sticking with me through this whole time. I really do appreciate it. My words can't say enough. But, hopefully my actions can, so I'm announcing now that Vicarious will have a sequel! I was really on the fence about doing another SYOT, but seeing the support from you guys, and the potential level of support I could reach from reading, reviewing, and submitting to other SYOTs, really convinced me to continue the story. I don't yet know when the first chapter will be released, probably not for a good while, but I do know it will be titled Panopticon! The story will continue there at some point in the future, but for now I'm staying focused on Vicarious.

Anyway, long ass AN out of the way, thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of all this!

-Red