11:58 am - The Cornucopia.
The dawn of Phaedra's destiny came the morning of the Games, for better or for worse.
She'd been separated from Justus early in the morning, getting ready in stark silence before being escorted into a hovercraft. Her eyes had been trained on her hands the whole time, trying to gain some kind of respite from the relentless turmoil her thoughts had turned to.
She'd be expected to kill again. She'd be expected to fight people - children. She'd be expected to fight and survive for days on end. At some point, Phaedra would be expected to outlive Justus. All for the sake of a dying religion that entrusted her with their fate.
It wasn't fair, but then again, was her life ever fair?
Phaedra had tried to gain some sense of what was awaiting her in the Arena by focusing on her outfit, but there was nothing special about it at all. It looked like something she might wear to training with a lightweight jacket thrown in, though it wouldn't offer her any true protection from the cold. The pants and jacket were cream with black stripes running down the sides, and her shirt was red, likely the one part that changed for every District. Its purpose seemed to be nothing more than comfort, as this wasn't the kind of outfit that would help anyone blend into the shadows either.
From what she could see now of the Arena itself, it was massive and indoors. Rather than being launched up into the Arena, they'd descended from the ceiling into a massive room with only four doors, one on each wall. It would be harder to run away from the Cornucopia that way, and easier for each alliance that made it out to be followed by someone. Phaedra couldn't help but notice the high ceilings and wooden floors, ready to be bathed in blood.
"Welcome, one and all, to the 123rd Games!"
Trying not to flinch at the voice, Phaedra shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts and focused in on the Cornucopia again. She was pretty sure the voice was that of the head gamemaker that had watched her private session.
"A reminder to not step off those platforms until the time runs out. May the odds be ever in your favor!"
The countdown started as soon as he was done, the luminous numbers hovering in the air above the Cornucopia as if taunting them. Phaedra let out a quiet breath, tearing her eyes away.
With the clock ticking down, Phaedra had a limited amount of time to digest the information around her and turn it into something she could utilize. Her destiny was moments away, inescapable and unavoidable no matter what she believed. Whether she was destined for Justus or the Games, they were both here and Phaedra was more unsure than ever.
She tried to avoid looking at the ring snug around her finger, her eyes scanning the tributes around her for any sign of her allies. Shai was a few people down on her left, Makani on the other side of him. The Cornucopia blocked her view of the tributes standing opposite of her, but Alila and Kano were both to her right. Phaedra gritted her teeth, unable to find the red shirt matching her own. She should've known that Justus would be positioned as far away from her as possible. There would be nothing to stand in her way.
Because no matter how hard she tried, Phaedra couldn't control her own destiny.
"It's just like the Fortuna Equestris," she muttered under her breath, crouching so she'd be able to take off better as soon as time was up. "Another day, another Petra. You can do this."
Training her eyes on the Cornucopia once more, Phaedra let out a small puff of air as she saw the circular shield and spear that were right in the center, taunting her. They were meant for her - who else would they be for?
Filtering out all other information, Phaedra trained her eyes on the prize that practically had her name on it. If the gamemakers wanted a show, she'd give them a show. She didn't have a choice.
Petra's face flickered behind her eyes as she got ready to run, making Phaedra swallow hard. It was difficult to think that soon she'd be taking another life, this time on purpose. It's what she was raised to do.
It's what she was born to do.
Her feet left the pedestal as soon as the horn went off, her long legs easily carrying her across the wooden floor. Phaedra could hear her heart pounding in her ears, the rest of the world fading into a blur around her. Instinct took over, the years spent training coming in handy as she raced across the room.
It didn't take her long to reach the center, barely panting as she waded through packages for her shield and spear in the center. Her eyes widened as she saw a harness sitting under the shield, quickly throwing it on and fastening it. Phaedra tried not to notice her steady hands, ready to kill. Instead, she threw her shield over her back and picked up the spear, turning it over in her hand to test the balance.
She heard the scuffling of supplies next to her and swung her spear around, instinctively aiming it at whoever was there. Alila barely lifted her head, uncovering a pair of fans and grinning.
"Get your head in the game, Phaedra," Alila said without sparing her a glance, shoving two more blades into a belt she'd grabbed.
Another sound on her other side and Phaedra turned to see Kano wrapping something around his fists, blades glinting dangerously. He looked all too smug in the dim light of the room, the first to wade back through the packages, searching for more.
Phaedra didn't have enough time to get stuck in her head. She had to move, and now.
The parcels were more spread out as she moved away from the Cornucopia, grabbing the shield off of her back and gripping it tightly. The Fortuna Equestris. Just like the Fortuna Equestris. That's all she had to keep telling herself.
The noise around her grew louder as the stragglers arrived at the fringe of the Cornucopia in search of something to take for themselves. No one dared make their way towards Phaedra, eyes skittering about nervously as she strode in their general direction. Fear filled the room, seeping into the other tributes, but Phaedra couldn't feel it at all.
Maybe she really was invincible.
A flash of red hair made Phaedra freeze, whirling in place to try and find the source. Red hair. The Fortuna Equestris. Petra. It was all coming together now in Phaedra's head. She'd done it all before; she knew what to do.
Adjusting the spear in her hand, Phaedra looked around her once more, catching the brief glimpse of red hair again. Phaedra didn't let herself hesitate this time, striking out with her spear to take out the threat that had haunted her since the day she'd won the Fortuna Equestris. She heard a sickening squelch and felt blood splatter on her hands. Numbly, she tugged the spear back, shield raised to prevent any backlash from Petra.
The girl whimpered.
Phaedra froze at the sound. Petra didn't make any noises as she died other than the gurgling of her own blood spilling out of her throat, filling her lungs. Petra didn't even scream; the members of the audience did that.
This wasn't the Fortuna Equestris. And that wasn't Petra.
Horror swept over Phaedra as she stared at the young girl from Three, bile rising in the back of her throat as she shuddered and crumpled to the ground. What was her name? What was her name? Phaedra knew everyone in this Arena; she should remember the name of the girl she killed.
Her breathing turned shallow as she watched the girl lie in a pool of her own blood, a gaping wound in the middle of her chest. Phaedra had done that. Phaedra had done that.
This wasn't an accident like Petra had been. Phaedra couldn't take her actions back - she never could - but she also couldn't deny that she'd chosen to swing the spear. There was no escaping it, no escaping her destiny.
Was that all it was? Phaedra just had to soak her hands in blood to bring life back to a religion that she hardly believed in, to make her own mother finally look at her with anything more than barely disguised contempt. Destiny was nothing more than something to ruin her life, to make her a bystander, someone who couldn't even take control when things mattered most.
A hand landed on her shoulder and she swung her spear around, smashing the butt into their stomach and hearing an oomf! as they stumbled back. Phaedra tensed, the sound familiar to her. It was happening all over again.
Justus, tumbling down the bleachers by her own hand. Justus, falling to the ground, winded. All of it by her hand. It was her fault, it always was.
He'd promised to find her, and he did, always keeping his word. Phaedra had retaliated with a harsh blow, sending him to the ground. A voice in the back of her mind told her that it could've been worse, but Phaedra couldn't bring herself to listen, not now.
"I'm sorry," she tried to say, but she couldn't tell if the words even left her mouth. She was always sorry, sorry for too much, sorry for everything.
Phaedra collapsed to the ground next to him, her knees instantly soaked in blood still leaking from the girl. Phaedra swallowed down bile, trying to ignore the stillness of the girl, her hair sticky with blood. She had a home, a family to go back to. She was a child with a life in front of her. Phaedra had taken it all away.
"Let's get up," Justus wheezed, wrapping an arm around Phaedra as if to support her instead of the other way around. "Back to the Cornucopia."
Her head spun as she went with him, looking over her shoulder to see the prone body of the girl she'd killed, the first death of the Games. The girl's hand was still clutched tightly around the backpack she'd been trying to grab. She wasn't even holding a weapon.
"Kyra," she muttered under her breath. "Her name was Kyra."
Though Justus didn't respond, his grip around her waist tightened as if to reassure her. Phaedra couldn't blame him for not saying anything at all. She wasn't sure herself.
The bloodbath raged on around them as if her first kill was a signal to the others. Her allies were in front of the Cornucopia as if to guard it, warding off potential invaders, and all she could see was fighting. Blood dripped off of her hands, staining the floor and making an imprint on her soul.
For the first time in her life, Phaedra couldn't bring herself to believe that fighting was a beautiful thing.
How could something this destructive be beautiful?
12:01 pm, The Cornucopia.
Waking up the morning of the bloodbath was like a cold shock, filling Merix's veins with icy dread. He had been too caught up in the joy of finally having friends, in the thrilling feeling of finally belonging and being a part of something. He should've known that there was never any permanent happiness for him; no, he only got just enough joy to satiate him until things went downhill once more.
An instant before time was up, Merix had managed to lock eyes with Nash, who nodded to him. Merix had taken it as a sign that he was to go with the original plan, turning in the opposite direction of the Cornucopia and taking off as soon as he heard the horn.
His chest heaved as he sprinted away from the Cornucopia, trying to get in the space between the pedestals and the walls. Even though Nash had told him to run as far as he could, there was nowhere to go. They were cornered like animals ready to be slaughtered by Careers.
Before he could reach the wall, Merix felt a searing pain in his calf and hissed, his weakened leg buckling under him and causing him to crash into the wall. His fingers scrambled for a place to catch himself, desperate to keep from falling to the ground. He was so desperately weak that while his friends were fighting he couldn't even stand strong on the sidelines.
A desperate sob bubbled up in him, and Merix swiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. He didn't have the right to cry, not now when he was safe from danger. He gripped his leg tightly, silently begging for it to work as he leaned against the wall, helpless as always.
From here he could watch the bloodbath unfold, a cry tearing out of his throat as he saw Phaedra so easily thrust her spear into Kyra's chest. She hadn't stood a chance at all against the much taller, much stronger girl. She didn't even have the time to put up a fight.
There was no sound of a cannon, which confused Merix until he distantly remembered that deaths weren't counted until the end of the bloodbath. She'd become just another number, easily forgotten as a bloodbath. He swallowed hard and looked away, helpless in the face of danger. All he could do now was cower in the corner, try to spot his allies, and hope they'd be able to find him fast.
Nash was easy to find, looting the backside of the Cornucopia by throwing backpacks over his shoulder. Though he was on the side nearest to Makani from Four, she didn't make any move to approach him, barely even noticing that he was there. If Merix could thank her for sparing his friend, he probably would. He didn't know how he'd survive these Games if not for Nash's friendly face beside him.
He could see both of the Ones quickly dispatch tributes, sharing a look before turning away. Merix couldn't understand the callousness of the Careers, the way they barely seemed to care that they were taking innocent lives. Their pure white outfits were now stained with blood, splattered on them as if murder was an art form.
Gritting his teeth, Merix hobbled a few steps forward, wincing every time his weight shifted to his bad leg. He still hadn't managed to catch sight of Lilith, but she'd been on the opposite side of the Cornucopia from him. Nash had managed to disengage from one of the Sevens, taking the long way around the Cornucopia to get back to Merix in an effort to keep anyone from tailing him. As he moved, Merix noticed that he suddenly grew more urgent, gesturing wildly as he ran.
Lifting a hand, Merix waved back before seeing Nash shake his head and point to the side. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he slowly turned his head, registering the boy from Seven making his way over.
Merix tried to start edging his way towards the door, his back flat against the wall. "Stay back!" he tried to yell, but he was sure it sounded more like frantic pleading. "My- my friends will be here in a minute! You don't want to hurt me!"
The pleas must've registered in the other boy's ears, but that didn't seem to stop him from moving closer, his intent clear as he approached. While he was just as weaponless as Merix was, Merix warily eyed the boy's large arms, more than twice the size of Merix's own. He could probably snap Merix in an instant if he wanted to, and Merix didn't really want to know what that felt like.
Maybe Merix had lived a good life. Or, not good, but at least he'd lived. He'd gotten the chance to make friends. If he died here, would they be able to go on without him? Merix wasn't sure that he'd be content if he was dead and they were unable to continue.
He lifted his hands up in front of his face, blindly hoping that he could still present some kind of defense if the boy chose to attack him. His feet were rooted in place, his leg still crying out in protest if he tried to move it.
This was where Merix Joss was going to meet his end.
Something wet splattered across his arms and Merix stayed in place, waiting for the pain to hit. He heard an odd noise in front of him, peeking through his fingers only to retch at the sight in front of him.
The boy was gasping and holding his throat, blood pouring down his front from an arrow that had gone clean through his neck. He coughed wetly, more blood spraying all over Merix, his arms mostly shielding his face from the spray. The boy fell towards him and Merix squeaked before lunging out of the way, his body making a crunching noise as it hit the wall.
Merix realized he was trembling, wrapping his arms around himself and trying to ignore the blood that coated the front of his jacket. Blood quickly seeped out of the boy's neck, the pool of blood getting bigger and threatening to stain his shoes as well. Merix retched without producing anything, hunching over as he coughed miserably.
"Are you okay?" Nash asked worriedly, placing a hand on Merix's back. "I'm so sorry, I tried to get over here faster-"
"Fine," he forced out, bracing his hands on his knees. "What was that?"
"Lily Bean found a crossbow," was all Nash said in response.
Blinking, Merix tried to clear his vision and looked up to see Lilith headed their way as if she didn't have a care in the world, two backpacks slung over her back and a crossbow resting on her shoulder. She quirked a brow as she saw the two of them staring.
"We shouldn't stand around," she said, already heading towards the nearest door.
"Thank you," Merix said, finally able to work his legs enough to stumble towards the door, Nash catching him before he could begin to fall again. "I… thank you."
He wasn't sure how to properly express his gratitude, as it went beyond just Lilith saving his life. Merix had been worried since the beginning that she only dealt with him because they were both allied with Nash, but she'd just saved his life. She could've let him die, but she didn't.
Merix considered that an improvement.
"Do you need help?" Nash asked, offering his arm for Merix to lean on. "You didn't see anyone go out this way, did you?"
Wordlessly, Merix leaned on Nash before shaking his head. His fingers were trembling as they wrapped around Nash's arm, and he started to hobble towards the open doorway leading into the Arena beyond.
The sound of weapons clanging against each other faded away as they headed down the hallway, briefly pausing in the next open space. Nash pulled away from Merix and shrugged off his jacket, holding it out to the smaller boy.
"Take it," he said softly. "That one won't do you much good."
Merix quickly took off his bloodstained jacket, throwing it to the floor. While Nash's jacket completely swallowed Merix's much smaller frame, at least it didn't carry the blood of someone else, someone that was now dead. "Thanks," he muttered, hiding his face in the collar.
"We need to keep going," Lilith insisted, anxiously glancing over her shoulder. "I'd rather face whatever's in this Arena than run into anyone fresh from the bloodbath."
"Are you good to keep going?" Nash asked Merix directly, as if he wasn't the one that had actually braved the bloodbath. "I can carry you or something."
Shaking his head quickly, Merix took a couple steps, his leg twinging in protest but otherwise able to hold his weight. "I'm okay. I can take a couple bags so you can move faster."
Nash handed a couple to Merix before starting down a hallway, the Arena appearing to just be an endless expanse of hallways so far. "Let's get some distance, then. I don't want to stick around either."
Lilith watched Nash before offering him a nod and allowing Merix to go in front of her, taking up the rear in case anyone followed them. Merix felt safe in between the two of them.
He was more than happy to leave the Games behind for now, but Merix knew they'd catch back up soon. He couldn't outrun them, after all. Sooner or later they'd begin hearing cannons, the official sign that death had come and it wasn't going to leave until one was left. And the only reason his wasn't one of them was because his friend had intervened. He had to be more prepared for next time - because there would be a next time. If Merix didn't prepare for it, he'd never be strong enough to survive.
But at least he had Nash and Lilith by his side to help him along, to give him the strength he needed to move forward.
There wasn't anyone he felt more capable of facing the Games with.
12:02 pm, The Cornucopia
Flipping the fans over in her hands, Alila briefly admired them before getting to her feet. If anything, she was glad her little show during the private session had made it clear to Leon that she needed proper weapons to fight, and he'd pulled through for her.
There was no sense in grabbing anything else now, not when it would just weigh her down. There would be time to grab supplies later, to take stock and see what they had to work with. She stood up, opening the fans and closing them to hear the blades slide against each other.
Standing, Alila caught sight of Phaedra spilling the first blood of the Games, a quick and easy stab into the chest of the girl from Three. Phaedra seemed more shaken about it than the dying girl did, and Alila quickly averted her gaze.
"Better stay on top of it; don't want that to be you," she heard Shai mutter beside her, flashing her a wink as she glanced his way.
"Shut up," Alila said, rolling her eyes. "Take care of yourself."
"Back at you." Shai grinned. "Let's remind everyone why One comes first."
"We actually have a history of coming second," Alila muttered under her breath.
"Not for long," he said with a shrug before sauntering over to the edge of the Cornucopia. The boy from Eight froze with a package of bread in his hands at the sight of a knife poised to throw at him, managing to move just in time for Shai to throw his knife and hit him in the side, not the stomach like he'd intended.
Alila tore her gaze away, storing that information for later. She'd wondered how Shai had managed to get a predicted placement of third, as even back home he'd been good at keeping his true abilities under the radar. At least now it was impossible for him to hide any longer; any hidden abilities would eventually come out now that everyone was in close quarters and fighting for their life.
Turning her attention to a figure nearby, Alila noticed the girl from Eleven crouched at the edge of the Cornucopia. She'd evidently been able to get a little farther in and was just making her way out, a sword clutched in one hand. Alila moved towards her, shedding the jacket as she went, wanting to be unhindered in her movements. She hated having to fight against the larger blades that could so easily fend off her fans, forcing her to be more creative in her fighting style. Mimi had always been particularly good at making her feel inferior despite Alila technically being the better fighter.
The girl stood and held up the blade as she saw Alila approach, clearly lacking the proper knowledge of how to use it. Alila almost felt bad for her in that moment before she pressed forward into the familiar movements of a dance.
Eleven stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over a box as Alila swept her fan out in a wide arc, trying to knock her off balance. It was nothing like the trainers she'd fought before, nothing like the fabric of the dummies she'd torn apart in training. Fighting someone that had a life of their own to go back to was something she'd never truly been prepared for.
The girl clumsily lashed out with her blade, too weak for Alila to need to counter it with any more than a flick of her fan. She used her foot to kick the girl in the chest, sending Eleven sprawling to the ground with her blade clattering next to her. Alila barely flinched before using her fan to cut straight through the girl's throat, an anticlimactic end to someone's life. A few flecks of blood landed on Alila's arm, but she'd easily be able to clean that off later.
The girl's body shuddered as life left it, crimson blood leaking out of her neck and onto the floor. Alila turned her gaze away and made eye contact with Shai, standing a few feet away from Eight's now prone body. They both nodded silently before looking away.
It really was different, Alila mused. There was no sense of showmanship here. It was ugly and raw, nothing like the fighting style she'd adopted. It was over too fast for her to even recognize that she'd taken someone's life, that someone had died in under a minute.
Despite what they'd discussed the night before, Alila found herself seeking out Thay, wanting her brother - no, his twin to stay safe. She caught a glimpse of the two girls in his alliance on the sidelines, lingering by a door with only one bag between them, meaning Thay was likely somewhere in here collecting supplies.
Her heart dropped into her stomach as she saw Kano moving towards Thay, the smaller boy digging a medicine pack out of the pile of supplies. He seemed to sense the approaching figure, pulling out a knife to fend off whoever was coming towards him.
Kano said something that Alila couldn't make out, but she caught the way Thay's expression grew more guarded, the way he shifted his weight so he'd be ready to fight or run at any moment. Alila took a few steps in their direction before stopping herself.
He was an opponent, not her brother. Another tribute, not someone she could save. If she tried to save him now, she'd forsake everything she'd worked so hard for.
Unsurprisingly, Kano lashed out first, forcing Thay to duck under his arm. His stature made him significantly more nimble than Kano, though he was far weaker in comparison. Thay lashed out with his knife, likely hoping to distract so he could make a run for it soon.
His movements were quick, and it made sense to Alila how he'd managed to scrape out a spot in the top six, but Kano snatched his wrist out of the air and twisted it, his knife clattering uselessly to the floor. Thay's eyes widened, his expression familiar to Alila. She wasn't sure that Thay was scared at the moment, but she could tell he was nervous, and her body moved before her mind could catch up to what was happening.
Kano forced Thay's wrist back at an angle that made him let out a soft cry, his knees giving out under him. While Thay was distracted by the pain, he threw a swift punch into his stomach, winding him. He let go of Thay's wrist before grabbing a knife from his belt, raising it up in preparation to drive it into his chest.
Alila's fan clashed against his blade before it could descend, a quick twist sending it flying in another direction. She positioned herself between Kano and Thay, staring resolutely at Kano.
All she could think was Thee, Thee, Thee, as the three of them stayed frozen in place, the bloodbath continuing to move around them. Though part of her wanted to give it up and move out of the way, she kept picturing Thee's face in her mind, the way he'd be crushed if she didn't help save his brother. It was her duty to him.
"Run!" she yelled without looking at Thay, realizing he was still too dazed to move. "Get out!"
"What the fuck are you doing?" Kano hissed, his eyes sparking with anger as he tried to grab her wrist and fling her out of the way. "I had him!"
Alila didn't have an answer for him, her gaze determined even as she realized this was sure to have consequences later. She gripped his arm and spun so her back was pressed against his chest, preventing him from being able to move easily. Her feet were planted firmly in the ground, his arm pinned under her own. Behind her, she could hear Thay grabbing his bags once more and running off.
Kano's tone was practically murderous as he said, "I don't know what your problem is, but you'd better get over yourself, Alila. Let go of me before I have to actually hurt you."
She hesitated for a moment longer before releasing his arm, and he quickly took a step back from her. "Sorry," she muttered. "Guess I don't know what came over me."
"Figure it out," he spat, still seething. "That was one of our biggest threats, in case you didn't notice. It'll be a pain in the ass to track him down later."
Numbly, she nodded and glanced around to the Cornucopia that had largely been cleared out, nearly devoid of tributes other than her allies. There were still some running for the exits, but Alila didn't have it in her to go after any of them.
What was the point, after all? For the first time in her life she'd let something get in the way of what she wanted. The Games always came first - that's what she'd been telling herself for years as she pushed herself through training and pushed away anyone that tried to become her friend. Winning was the only thing she'd ever wanted, and for her to run the risk of throwing it all away just for another tribute…
Footsteps approached her, and Alila spun to see Makani offer her a slight smile. "You got yourself in a bit of a mess there, huh?" she asked sadly, as if she knew too much.
"I guess so," Alila muttered. "I thought I'd know better."
"He's probably just mad you stole his kill." Makani lowered her voice as she sidled closer. "You, Shai, and Phaedra are the only ones from our alliance to get one so far."
Alila frowned, looking down at her arm to try and scrape dried blood off of it. "I just hope I didn't create many more problems for us."
"You did," Makani replied easily. "They'll probably work out in the end."
"And if they don't?"
Makani paused before shrugging. "Doesn't matter to me. I'm on your side until the end, yeah?"
"Yeah," Alila agreed, staring at a fallen body a few feet away. "Together until the end."
12:04 pm, The Cornucopia.
The only things Jack had managed to snag were a knife and a small backpack before she realized the Two girl was close to her and she sprinted away. She kept running until she made it to the edge of the room where Eleanor, who hadn't entered the bloodbath at all, was waiting. Her face was pale and her eyes bloodshot, and when she thought Jack wasn't looking, she'd cradle the side of her head as if in pain.
"Take this," Jack had said, thrusting the bag into her arms so she'd have both hands available if she needed. "You okay?"
"Just tired," Eleanor said, the weariness seeping into her voice. "When can we go?"
Glancing around worriedly, Jack let out a soft hiss as she realized Thay was still caught up in the Cornucopia. "Thay's not out yet. We can't go without him."
"Seven on your right," Eleanor said, nudging Jack.
She blinked and looked up to see the girl from Seven headed their way, a backpack slung over her shoulder and a knife clenched in her hand. Though the open doorway was still several feet away from where Jack and Eleanor were standing, it looked like the girl was dead set on intercepting them.
"I'll take care of it," Jack said more confidently than she felt, stepping in front of Eleanor.
Before either girl could even blink, however, the girl from Twelve rushed by, smashed something into Seven's head, and continued running. Eleanor let out a soft cry of surprise while Jack stayed silent, trying not to draw attention to them in case Twelve decided to turn back.
Whether it was luck or something else, Twelve didn't even spare them a glance, running straight through the door and out of sight. Looking back to where Seven had crumpled to the ground, Jack assumed that Twelve just didn't like the girl being in her way and had taken care of the problem the easiest way she knew how.
"Let's start moving," Jack said quietly, beginning to move to the left. "I don't think Thay will want us to stick around here. Following Twelve would be a bad idea."
"Let's go, then," Eleanor said, adjusting the straps of the backpack. "I don't particularly want her to do that to me either."
As they jogged past the body, Jack noticed a hole in the side of the head, but she still was unable to determine the cause. It wasn't done cleanly, more like Twelve had shoved something into Seven's head out of pure brute force. She shuddered before crouching down to pick the backpack off of her body, too desperate for supplies to let this one go untouched.
She scanned the immediate area of the Cornucopia as they moved, catching sight of what appeared to be some kind of standoff between two Careers before letting out a sigh of relief as she saw Thay sprinting towards them, a few backpacks in hand. Jack paused with Eleanor just behind her, keeping an eye out to make sure no one else approached.
"One more door over," Thay said as soon as he ran over. He looked almost shaken as he caught up to them, his hair a mess and his white pants splattered with a few drops of blood. "Unless someone didn't come this way."
"Twelve did," Jack said, gesturing to the body in front of them. "Took out this girl. You said that way was good?" She pointed towards the door that was the opposite of where they'd just been standing.
Thay nodded. "Just the other Twelve went that way, but the Sixes ditched their alliance and went to this one while the alliance with Five and Nine headed through the door on the other side."
"Works for me," Eleanor said, giving them a smile.
Thay gestured for them to start moving again, clearly eager to get away from the bloodbath. Jack couldn't blame him for that - she hadn't even gotten in the middle of it like he had.
They'd only gotten halfway to their target when Thay stopped short, causing Jack to nearly run into him before managing to catch herself. She peeked around him to see both of the Tens, likely in search of their alliance. The two looked panicked, but the boy put on a brave face as he moved to stand in front of the girl.
Jack drew her blade again in case it led to some kind of fight, figuring she could probably take the girl, who she remembered was irritating during training and seemed to hold no other value. Even if her skills with a knife were mediocre at best, it couldn't be too hard to dispatch her, provided that the girl decided to pick a fight in the first place.
Thay took a step forward, trying to shift so they could pass each other without bloodshed, but the boy matched his movements and whipped out a knife. "Go, Teagan! I'll be right there!" he called, taking another step closer in case any of them tried to go after Teagan.
Silently, Thay brought out his knife again, readying himself for the boy to attack. Ten launched himself at Thay, a desperate ploy to keep him at bay while Teagan scurried over to the door.
"Go on ahead," Thay said, largely unbothered by the boy attacking him. "I'll catch up with you."
Jack nudged Eleanor ahead of her, keeping her eyes trained on Thay as he lashed out with his knife, Ten reacting quickly enough to earn only a slash across the arm. He hissed before attempting to retaliate, but Thay easily knocked the blade aside.
She didn't look after that, figuring that Thay was about to kill the boy. She didn't want to have to see it happen, the girl from Seven's blood still fresh in her mind.
No one else appeared to have gone through the doorway, so Jack ushered Eleanor through it quickly, the large entryway quickly narrowing into a smaller hallway that stretched on for a while. They both ducked through it, leaning against the wall to catch a glimpse of Thay as he left the boy's body behind, his face oddly sorrowful as he ran to catch up with them.
Jack almost wanted to ask about it, but she decided against it, instead making eye contact with the horrified Teagan, tears streaming down her face. Jack wasn't sure what to make of the fact that the younger girl seemed more terrified about the bloodshed that had occured so close to her than sad at the thought of her ally's death.
"Thay-" Eleanor started before quickly being cut off.
"This hallway stretches on for a while. I think we should continue down it and take the first branch we see," he said, already moving past them. "We can talk as we go."
Jack hurried to catch up with him, his legs moving quickly for someone so much smaller than her. "Going into the bloodbath wasn't too much trouble, was it?"
His jaw twitched before he responded. "Not much."
Jack figured that was some kind of lie, but she didn't feel like pressing any further. She was just lucky she hardly had to go in at all. For a moment she wished she was home, icy tension and all, but even that was just a dream at this point.
What would her father think if he could see her now?
Despite everything, she didn't want to disappoint him.
Gnawing at her lip, Jack briefly wondered if Teagan would be able to catch up with the rest of her alliance. Though the Sixes were unusual to say the least - she'd figured that out when Jude had tried to visit her back in training - she hadn't expected them to completely ditch their younger allies. Maybe they were just trying to protect themselves and didn't even care about the allies they'd left behind.
"You didn't take the girl?" Jack couldn't help but ask once they were farther down the hall.
Thay shook his head. "Not worth it. She'll keep the Sixes busy for as long as she manages to stick around, and I'd rather keep them off my back."
"She was just a kid," Eleanor mused, staring down at her shoes.
The three of them fell quiet at that, Jack biting her lip to keep from saying that they were all still kids. That didn't make any of it more wrong or right.
"It should be over soon anyway," Thay said, beginning to head down the hallway. "I don't want to see what the Careers plan to do after the bloodbath is over."
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Jack tried not to flinch as she heard the cannon shots ring through the arena, the structure seeming to shudder with her. Six tributes - six people dead. Jack hadn't dirtied her own hands yet, but if she wanted to get home alive, she knew she'd have to in the future.
The bloodbath may have been over, but the rest of the Games had yet to unfold. Jack couldn't be sure what they contained, but she had a feeling she hadn't seen the worst of it yet.