XXX. Parting Shot

Then seemed to me so much of heaven enkindled
By the sun's flame, that neither rain nor river
E'er made a lake so widely spread abroad.

She wakes up on the third day absolutely terrified.

Granted, that's not very different from any other day, but today, Ascot is especially frantic. She's completely alone, nothing but a riffle, three knives, and a bag of crackers for comfort, and she's absolutely stricken with terror.

The first thing she does is call out for Simeon, but she quickly realizes he isn't around, and he actually meant it when he said he was leaving. It's a tough pill for her to swallow.

As much as she hates how angry Simeon can be, Ascot misses him. He was the closest thing to a valid older brother that she's ever had, and the closest thing she'll ever have to one ever again. She wonders if she did anything wrong, and that's why he was driven away. She wonders if he was lying when he said he felt bad about the person he is, and really he just finally came to his senses and realized how useless she is. And then he didn't kill her even though he could've, because she's not even worth killing, that's how little of a threat she is.

She probably made him uncomfortable off too with her bitterness and her inferiority complex, and he probably didn't want to bother with her anymore. Ascot can't even say she blames him, and really she doubts he'll ever return to her with food because why would he?

(Maybe it's a good thing he's gone. Maybe Simeon was right, and she really is safer without his volatility and his fury there to hinder her survival. She still remembers how vicious he was in the bloodbath, and she still remembers how scared she was that night that he'd someday turn his wrath onto her.)

He was a complicated person, but at his heart, Simeon was a good person too. His anger at the world was justified, and all his flaws were rooted in pain, so maybe he did truly care about her. Maybe Simeon still does, and he'll come back soon with a sack full of food for her. Then, Ascot will apologize for brushing him off so easily, and she'll make him stay with her because she understands the risks now, and she doesn't care. Because being with somebody so incredibly hostile is still better than being alone in the end.

Anything is better than being alone.

Being alone was for the streets, wandering around from foster home to foster home without a clue what would happen to her next. Being alone was for hiding in the closet in the Tamarind family home because Stefan came home from work in a bad mood again and she didn't want her back to be the target for his belt yet again. Being alone was for the first day of training when Adrian chased her and called her names before Simeon grabbed him by the wrist and told him to stop.

But the arena? The arena isn't for being alone. The arena isn't for being afraid, but it's much easier to be afraid if you're alone, and if you keep acting afraid, people will decide you're better off alone.

Ascot thought she was until she met Simeon and she realized how valuable companionship can be, even if said companion has the blood of seventeen people on his hands. Simeon's still a person, and he's a person Ascot misses, even if she was always too deficient to have somebody so dedicated to protecting her. It was only a matter of time before he'd be gone.

Every footstep startles her, even those from her own feet which rattle against the icy floor like a snake. The slightest movement is enough to put Ascot on edge, so she stays still with her hand wrapped around the trigger of the gun.

(It reminds her of back in Eight when a weapon that looked similar fired into Roewe's skull, his lifeless body falling to the ground the same way their foster parents' and siblings' did. The weapon reminds her of their cold dead eyes and the hopeless expressions that lined their faces. It reminds her what it's like to be nine years old and terrified that you could be the next one to drop like a fly. She wonders if Simeon's victims were just as afraid as she was.)

Her palms sweat around the trigger so she lets the gun rest. Just looking at it is enough to force all the bad memories she swore she'd repress back through the floodgates of her mind. Maybe her problem with Simeon is less about the killing and more about the gun he did it with.

Is she supposed to kill people the same way her loved ones were killed if it comes down to it? Thirteen isn't much older than nine when it comes to the aftermath of an atrocity. Thirteen is far too young to be on the other side of the gun, pulling the trigger and letting somebody else fall. Once again, Ascot wishes she was rotting in the grave the same way the Dressels are, dead for four years and numb to the world's bullshit.

There's no chance that she'll ever be happy again, especially without Simeon to offer her even a sliver of hope. Because he's gone. He's not coming back. Why can't Ascot just fucking accept it?

She lies down against the ice and closes her eyes. Maybe if she's asleep then she won't have to wait around for either Simeon or a Career who's ready to take off her head. The only issue is that she's not tired because she literally just woke up. That and… well she hears heavy footsteps on the ground getting closer and closer to her.

They're heavy enough that Ascot thinks she recognizes them. She calls out, "Simeon?" and waits for a response.

But she's greeted with nothing, so she tries again. "Simeon! I'm right here."

The footsteps get closer and Ascot realizes that there's four feet instead of two. Fuck!

She tilts her head at the ground and grabs ahold of her gun, positioning her body in the opposite direction of the noises. Briefly, she turns her head behind her shoulder, but she can hardly make out the people approaching her. Her feet slide against the ice, but she moves them quick enough that she doesn't fall.

But the other footsteps are getting closer, and louder too. The gun gets heavy and Ascot hears deep breathing but she isn't sure if it's hers or somebody else's. Faster and faster, she runs further and further until the swings of her feet don't take her anywhere and she feels something pulling at the back collar of her shirt.

She tries to turn around, but her feet just brush against the ice and she slides onto the ground, her gun traveling in the other direction. Her eyes dart up to the ginger girl who's still grabbing onto her. She sneers, then drags Ascot against a wall.

"I see your little friend is missing." She sneers, then turns to another girl, this one with short blonde hair. "You see that over there? Use it."

Fuck! Do they have Simeon? How the hell do they…

The blonde girl nods, then steps tiptoes across the room. Ascot tries to break free of the ginger's grasp, but she's stuck. She violently thrusts her body away from the wall, hoping that her shirt will tear, but she has no luck. Once more, the ginger slams her against the wall. Again and again until Ascot's vision grows blurry and nausea swirls in her stomach.

Tears form in her eyes as she begs them to spare her. "Please, I'm just like you. I don't want to be here either. I'm… I'm just thirteen, I don't pose a threat to any of you. I promise, just let me go and you can have the gun—"

Ascot shrieks when she notices that the blonde girl's holding the weapon, a tired look in her eyes. Again, she pleads for her survival. "I have food too! Do you wan't food? I'll give it to you and—"

Her head collides with the wall again, then the ginger finally lets go of her and lets her fall to the ground. Ascot tries to get up, but she's too lightheaded and she falls back to the ground instead. She's angry most of all, but at the same time, this being her end seems fitting. She told Simeon that she didn't need him after all. If only she didn't know how wrong she'd be proven less than a day later.

Mustering all her strength, Ascot takes a deep breath and screams, "Simeon if you're nearby, save me. Save me please!"

"Do you really want that?" The ginger furrows his brow. "You saw how vile he was during the bloodbath; do you actually want to see that again?"

Ascot nods but doesn't speak. I don't want it. I don't want Simeon to be angry ever again. I don't need the last time I see him to be while he's consumed by his rage. I just wish I could—

"Are you ready?" The ginger asks the blonde, who slowly wraps her hands around the trigger. "You're really lucky the gun's here, you know. This is so nice and convenient for you!"

"Please!" Ascot cries out. "Just… what do you want from me?"

Her breathing grows fast and heavy and tears begin to form in her eyes. "Please… please don't." She notices that the blonde girl's also crying. "You don't want to kill me, I know you don't."

"Do it," the ginger scoffs.

"Don't do it, please don't do it." Ascot's entire body reverberates against the ground. Her arms flop against her sides and her legs kick against the walls. "Please— don't! I promise I—"

Promise what? Does Ascot even have anything to promise? Even in near death, is she really this helpless?

"Please! Just— I won't bother you. I won't put up a fight. If I find Simeon, I'll make sure he doesn't either. I'll get him to help you for all I care. I promise… I'll—"

Hedy watches as Verdigris squeezes their fingers around the trigger of the gun, slightly stumbling back at the noise as a bullet flies out of the barrel. With a crash, the metal pierces the Eight girl's stomach, blood gushing out threw torn flesh and staining her shirt a dark shade of red. She screams as the crimson liquid pools around her, staining the icy ground.

"I didn't think you had it in you—" Hedy cocks her head in Verdigris direction, only to notice that they're pulling back on the trigger once again. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"What I should've done yesterday," they grunt. Hedy grabs the neck of the gun and tries to push it away from her, but Verdigris squeezes their fingers.

Again, a loud noise sounds, Hedy bracing for mercy with her hands over her chest. Her eyes are shut tight, and she finds herself pleading to the sky that death takes mercy on her.

"Damnit!" The sound of Verdigris' voice makes Hedy realize she's very much alive, so she opens her eyes to see her ally (or, former ally considering they just tried to shoot her) pouting. "Who the fuck makes a gun with only one bullet?"

"Somebody with taste," Hedy says in retaliation, only for Verdigris to grab onto her hair and pull downwards."Hey, you stop that, you bitch."

Verdigris is silent as they rip out a chunk of her hair, pain searing against her scalp with every tug. She looks at her glorious ginger curls in their hands and screams. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" They throw the clump of hair against the ground and grunt. "You're the one who made me shoot a child."

"Well, you're the one who actually did it." Hedy looks over to Eight, still flailing her arms as she profusely bleeds. "Do you want to take her out of her misery, or are you going to pretend to be the bigger person, or some bullshit like that."

"Oh, fuck off!" Verdigris stomps against the ground and positions their foot towards Hedy's groin. "If I finish anybody off—" They begin to kick towards her. "It's going to be—" Their foot flies thew the air. "You!"

Before they can make contact, Hedy grabs ahold of their ankle and swings them against the ground. "You better stay there!" She hisses.

All the red in Verdigris' face fades and they turn their head in the other direction. "I think you have bigger things to worry about."

They stand up and brush the ice off their knees before running away. Hedy looks in the opposite direction to see the boy from Ten charging towards her.

"Ascot! Oh my fucking fuck!" He drops the bag in his hand and walks over to Eight, cradling her bleeding body in her his hands. He speaks to her in a soft voice. "Was that girl the one who did this to you?" She doesn't respond, even though the lack of a cannon means she's still alive. Ten glares in Hedy's direction and screams. "Did you do this to you?"

The sheer volume of his voice makes her flinch. "I didn't! I promise!"

"Bullshit!" Ten roars, lowering Eight to the ground and then rushing towards Hedy to grab at her bloodied shirt. "What the fuck did you do to her?" He lifts her by the collar and flings her towards the ground. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

She collapses on the floor, but Ten doesn't stop. He goes to pick her up again, but Eight's voice stops him. "Simeon! Stop!"

He immediately turns his head to see her moving her mouth ever so slightly. "Please, just… just stop!"

Again, the boy cradles her, this time using one hand to try and stop her lifeblood from leaking onto the floor. "But she did this to you. Ascot, she hurt you! Don't you want to see her suffer? Look what she did to you!"

"N-no," she murmurs, slightly raising her chin to make eye contact with him. "Please, Simeon. No…"

Hedy smirks in disbelief, I can't believe I'm actually getting away with this shit. She tries to stand up, but her left ankle twists and she falls back against the ground. She grunts and digs her nails through the ice, trying and failing to crawl away.

"I can't believe…." Hedy turns her head to see Ten holding Eight close to his chest. "Why the fuck would somebody do this to you?"

"I'm fine," Eight whimpers. "Just… leave me be. I'll be fine… I always wanted to go out with a…"

Her eyes blink and flutter shut.

"You always wanted to what?" He asks in a nervous panic, holding her mouth against his ear.

"A friend…" Eight opens her eyes again, and her voice is barely loud enough for Hedy to hear, and when she closes her mouth, a cannon sounds.

Hedy continues crawling while she watches Ten place her on the ground. Tears stream down her face, but he wipes them away with his hands and then uses the liquid to clean the blood off Eight's face. He closes her eyelids shut and leans down to give her a kiss on the forehead. He stands up and sighs. "Ascot, I'm so fucking sorry I let that happen to you."

Hedy wants to cry too, so she blinks her eyes again and again, but nothing happens. Am I really a monster? Do I really just not have a soul? She continues to push herself against the ice, huffing and puffing with every slight movement. Why aren't I crying?

She hears the loud thump of Ten's feet beside her and gasps when he grabs her by the collar once more. "I hope you know that you're a fucking tyrant—"

"It wasn't even me!" She cuts him off, and for once she's actually telling the truth.

Ten curls her shirt into a ball with his hand. "Well, you were there, which means you didn't stop it when it happened."

His nails dig into her wrists, her skin beginning to tear open as rivulets of blood leak out of her. She winces at the pain, grinds her teeth together and says, "Is this really what your ally would've wanted?"

"Shut the fuck up about her," Ten responds. He squeezes at Hedy's wrist tight, her skin pulling away from the bone. "You don't get to say shit, understand?"

"It was her dying wish." Hedy pulls her arm away from him and wipes her blood against her pants. "Are you really about to say no to a thirteen-year-old girl's dying wish? You know, when I heard the rumors that you were a murderer, I was hoping you'd at least be one with a heart. Your ally seemed to think you had one about her."

"Shut up," he says, his voice now just a whisper. "Leave me alone, okay?"

"I'm just saying," Hedy muses, carefully walking so she doesn't further damage her foot. "If you really want to be a man of your honor and not the murderer I heard you were, I'd stop talking."

"Just go." He grunts, pointing his finger towards the cave's exit. He tries blinking his eyes to prevent even more tears, yet he can't. "I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone."

"Deal!" She enthuses, a wide grin on her face. It doesn't leave as she tiptoes through the rest of the cave, finally reaching the outside and collapsing on the ground. Even though she's in pain, when Hedy looks at the sky, there's optimism in her eyes.

Verdigris may be gone, but Hedy doesn't mind. The kid's probably so traumatized from what they've done that they won't ever be a threat again. As soon as the adrenaline wears off, she's sure that Verdigris will be nothing but a mess. And if a few days pass and they're still alive? Well, that's a problem Hedy can easily take care of herself.

She may be closer to being her father than ever, but good girls don't win the Hunger Games now do they? If being a villain is what it takes to come home with a crown on her head, she's glad to step into that role. The biggest threats are the ones you least expect, after all.

Lord knows that nobody's ever going to expect Hedy Lovelace to come out on top, but she's more than ready to give them the surprise of their lives.

For a girl who was so devastatingly convinced she was doomed to drown, Atlantis finds flying to be an excellent change of pace. She's unsure if she and Icarus were intended by the Gamemakers to be the ones blessed with the gift of flight, but of course she isn't complaining about it.

It would be a bit of a stretch for Atlantis to say that she's having fun with the wind brushing her hair away from her face and the cool feeling of the sky rubbing on her hands, but it's definitely close to fun. Far closer than Atlantis even thought she'd get in the arena.

If Alithiya was with her, well then it probably would actually be fun, but it also wouldn't be the Hunger Games. Still, if Alithiya was there, she'd probably have a bottle of beer in her hands, and she'd carelessly open it, letting Atlantis fly underneath to lap up the drippings. And then they'd probably kiss, and the taste of liquor would still be on Atlantis' tongue, so Alithiya would laugh and say, "You taste like happiness."

Then Atlantis would laugh too, and she'd scoop Alithiya in her arms and hold her close. It would be just the two of them, no Hunger Games or deadbeat parents to worry about. If Alithiya was here, then the arena would actually be heaven instead of a tacky but impressive recreation.

(Not that she knows anything about heaven. From the day she was born, Atlantis Seasbane was destined to sink into the depths of hell, an anchor tied to her ankle and slowly pulling her under. And even if by some miracle, Atlantis did manage to experience the realities of heaven, there's no way Alithiya would even talk to her. Not after she broke her heart, shattering it like the glass she used to slaughter the girl from Nine.)

(If Alithiya never loved me before, she'll never love me now that there's blood on my hands.)

But Atlantis' skin has always been painted red. From Daria's self-mutilation and vomit-stained toilets to the noose that hung around Mads' neck and slowly tightened, she's used to being at fault. Even if Daria never died and even if she never told Mads to kill herself, Atlantis was the catalyst for their breaking points. While she lacked the physical prowess to cut them down at first, the venom spat from her tongue has always been a wealthy substitute.

Dozens have suffered from Atlantis' words, so she's sick to think that she ever had a chance at creating something real with Alithiya. She was always bound to run, just like her father and brothers.

Physically killing people is hardly something new when a trophy case of urns lives inside Atlantis' mind.

And the fact Shane wants to claim all of her wrongdoing was for him? That's atrocious. But it also begs the question, if she didn't hurt people for Shane, then what was the purpose?

There is none, you monster. Nothing can validate the things you've done, not even the nature of the Games. Nine was an innocent. She was harmless, yet you went off with Icarus and ravished her.

Icarus.

Atlantis isn't quite sure what to think of him these days. As an ally, there's no denying that he's valuable, but as a person, he's notably questionable. Not that Atlantis can properly judge anybody's nobility, of course. There's just something off about him, the way he sees the Hunger Games as an elaborate game of chess, and he's far too careful when it comes to all of the pieces.

She can't help but fear that he's using her for one of his schemes, and as soon as she's server her purpose, he'll throw her to the wolves. He's kind to her, yes, but Atlantis knows firsthand how easy it is to lie. She worries that everything nice he's ever said is bullshit, and oneway she'll fall to his hands.

Either that or she's the one using him. She's not sure for what, but she doesn't understand why he feels almost obligated to stay with her. If there's anybody useless in the alliance, it's her. All Atlantis does is hold people back. A time will come where she holds Icarus back too.

You're gaslighting yourself, shut the fuck up!

The song of a cannon breaks Atlantis out of her introspection. She's flying high above the cathedral with Icarus at her side, but the loud noise cues her to float down to the roof, as surely a conversation will need to be had at the concept of another person dying. She holds her hands close to her hips, lowering herself until her feet brush against the stone panelling and she's able to see.

Icarus does the same, but he adds a fancy flip to his descent before sitting next to Atlantis. "I take it you want to talk about that?"

"The cannon?" Atlantis asks to clarify. "Yeah, who do you think it was."

"Well, I hope it was Lethia." He puts his hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter. "But chances are it was one of the little kids. A shame, if you ask me."

"What do you mean, a shame?" She quirks her brow upwards.

He tilts his head towards the ever-glowing sun above them. "A shame that so many people are dying instead of her. Or— instead of Calsin, though I notice you haven't mentioned him in a while. Why's that?"

Because I treated him like shit and didn't understand why he was so fucking angry at me. I treated him like shit because I didn't know he was forced into this mess for the sake of dying at my hands, and now he hates me for things I didn't even know. I understand why he'd hate everything I've done, but sentencing him to death is one of the few things I never had any intention of doing. Atlantis presses her lips into a line, unsure if she should answer him.

Their alliance is built on mutual understanding. He wants Lethia dead, and she's supposed to want Calsin rotting the same. She is to help him kill the subject of his scrutiny in exchange for hers, but if she doesn't want him dead, then what even is the point?

If Calsin doesn't deserve to be targeted by her, then maybe Lethia doesn't deserve to be targeted by him.

"Most of our conflict was over bullshit from back home, and spending the Games hyper fixated on killing him in particular seems like a waste of time," she lies. "I wonder if you can say the same about Lethia now that we've been here a few days."

"Killing Lethia's never been my priority," Icarus corrects her, a stubborn look on his face. "It's just one of my many goals, but I won't be bitter if she dies and it isn't at my hands."

"Lies," Atlantis laughs. "You've been digging her grave internally since the first time you and I spoke."

"And haven't you been also digging Calsin's?" He's quick to respond. "I doubt whatever you held against him has actually simmered over, but I can assure you, what Lethia did to me. Well, death is the only punishment suitable."

"What did she do to you again?" She realizes that she never really got the extent of their drama.

He inhales, worry on his face. "She lied to me. I gave her resources and a better life so that she could help her aching father, and then all she did was use everything for herself. There were some nights where I didn't even eat so that Lethia's father could, but she just fed off my generosity and expected me to not get angry when I found out she was full of shit. Sure, I broke her hand, but Lethia broke my heart for fuck's sake."

While Icarus definitely sounds emotional, Atlantis is unable to decipher whether or not he's being genuine. "So you think that she should die for breaking your heart?"

"I mean, she's going to die eventually; this is the Hunger Games." He clarifies. "So yes. Yes I do."

Does that mean I deserve to die for hurting Alithiya? She wonders.

There's so many things that Atlantis deserves to die for, it's just a matter of picking the best ones. While Shane Odeen proclaimed her to be a goddess, everyone else seems to agree that she's better off dead. How unlucky are they that the only reason she lives is to wreak havoc upon the person who lied to her… and make things right with everyone else.

"Fair enough." She nods her head. "I mean, I won't question you if you don't question me. Does that seem alright?"

"Of course," he says. "Now, we can either spend all day sitting on one spot… or, we can take a little trip around the arena and see if there's anybody who we can pick off, or at least… somebody we can lure into our little prison. How do you like the sound of that?"

Seems like a decent enough distraction, she figures. She takes a deep breath and allows her wings to lift her off the ground. If she gives into the Games, she'll be able to repent back at home. She has to make things right, even if she's in denial that death is the only way.

He's almost surprised that the morons haven't found him by now. Sure, the mountain city is a large and expansive place, but surely Malin and Mozi eventually think to look above the bar where they've been living. If they did, they'd see Judas wedged between the building's roof and another ceiling made of rocks. They really do prove themselves to be stupider and stupider by the hour. That's why Judas finds it so much fun to slowly drive them mad.

There's a small hole against the mountain that Judas has allowed all his supplies to occupy, and it's where he slept the previous night as well. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he's used to discomfort. I also hate discomfort, but that's besides the point. His days living in the woods may be well behind them, but that doesn't mean Judas can't easily slip back into that ruggedness whenever necessary, and now it is necessary.

It was easy to climb up here too; the leveled rocks made for a makeshift stairway. His ribs might've hurt a little, but nothing like the way they did on the first day, and definitely not as badly as he exaggerated yesterday. Forty-eight hours later, Judas is certain that he's almost completely healed. Now, it only hurts if he presses his fist into the spot where he was hit, which he doesn't do, because he's not a fucking idiot.

But he is lonely. Or rather, he's bored of sitting on a roof and waiting for the Sixes to find his completely obvious hiding spot. There's so many ways he could fuck with them, and revealing himself now could be one of them.

He needs to have fun with it though. Judas is unsure whether or not the two of them are currently inside the bar, but he can always check. He grabs one of the larger rocks that's fallen off the ceiling and cradles it in his hands. He snickers, then drops it to the ground with a resounding thump! Judas grabs his backpack from its resting spot and begins to descend down the stairway the same way he climbed up.

His feet move quickly, so quickly that by the time Malin and Mozi have walked out of the bar to check for the source of the noise, Judas is right there with a proud look on his face, shouting "Boo!"

Malin practically stumbles over their own feet in fright, while Mozi's face remains stoic and frustrated. She puts a hand on her hip and pouts at Judas. "Now what exactly was that for?"

"The purpose of what?" He laughs to himself. "Leaving you guys yesterday or throwing a giant rock off the roof of this building?"

"That was you?" Malin mouths in irritation. "How'd you even get up there?"

"I just climbed," Judas answers. "I climbed yesterday actually. Like… five minutes after I left you guys. This is the first time I'm coming down, actually. Trust me, it was absolutely hilarious watching you guys walk around looking for me, when I was here the entire fucking fun."

Mozi seems to think it's less funny. "Don't you have a bruised rib?"

"I did," he says. "But now it's unbruised. It didn't really hurt yesterday either, it was just fun getting the attention."

The Sixes stop to stare at him, seemingly shellshocked by his utter audacity, which is well, fair. He wonders if he should run away from them, but they seem almost too confused to kill him. They don't even seem angry at him anymore, just surprised.

"Well, I will say, it worked." Malin moves their lips. "But you really didn't need to be an ass to me, you know that?"

"Oh I know." He laces his fingers together and puts his hands behind his head. "But consider this, it was fun." Judas tries to say something else, because lord has he missed the sound of his face, but before he can, Mozi slaps him across the face. It's painless, but he's still aggrieved.

"The fuck was that for?" He tries to hit her back, but misses.

"For being a little bitch, that's what." She smirks. "Why'd you decide to come back to us anyway?"

Malin mouths, "It's because you missed me, isn't it. You know what? I understand. I'd miss me too."

It definitely was not that. Judas scowls to himself. Trust me, Malin dearest, people won't even miss you when you're six feet under. To think that he once considered them a friend, a partner in crime even. Pathetic. I don't have time for such degeneracy in the arena.

If Judas is going to be a shit-stirrer, he'll do it with his pants zipped and his tongue away. He puts a hand on Malin's shoulder and chuckles. "I mean, if you missed me, you should've just said something yesterday when we made eye-contact yesterday."

Before they even get the time to respond, Mozi interjects. "Wait! You saw him yesterday? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did not!" Malin mouths. "He's lying."

"Why the hell would I lie?" Judas muses. "I'm personally a bit hurt you saw me and then just ignored me. Really Malin, I thought you were better than that."

"I didn't!" They frantically move their lips then stare at Mozi. "You believe me, right?"

Mozi stops to think for a minute before answering. "I don't know. It seems like a weird thing for Judas to lie about."

He nods his head. "Yeah a pretty weird thing, I agree."

"Well, he lied about being injured." Malin points out. "Do you really think he's the person you should be trusting here?"

"I don't know!" She curls her fingers into a fist and stomps against the ground. "Just… leave me alone. Both of you, shit. Why is everything suddenly on me!"

She storms back into the bar, leaving just Judas and Malin. He watches as Mozi slams the door behind her before continuing to talk. "Some friend she is, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?" They mouth, tilting their head to the side.

"I just thought that she'd trust you more, that's all," Judas says with a smirk. "You know, I thought that the two of you were a pretty unstoppable pair. I'll admit it, I was full of shit when I said you saw me, but Mozi seemed to believe it. I wonder why she thinks you're so dishonest… Maybe being buddy buddy with a little criminal wasn't the best idea after all."

"Shut up." Malin moves their lips then grinds their teeth together. "Why the fuck does Mozi and I's alliance matter to you. What do you think you're gaining if she trusts you more than you trust me."

Oh, you don't get it now do you, silly kid, Judas muses, biting down on his lip. I don't give a flying fuck what Mozi thinks of me. All I care is that she doesn't trust you, and now a seed is planted, isn't it? When somebody unhinged enough to bring a corpse to the Capitol is angry at somebody insane enough to help burn down a pier… well, it's only a matter of time before there's an explosion.

Malin hits him on the side and mouths again, "What do you think you're gaining, huh?"

"Does it really matter to you?" Judas scoffs, and then before they can even do anything in response, he runs. Out of the cave, and thank the lord for that, and back outside. The sun's still high in the sky, shining brightly against Judas' skin and reflecting against the clouds on the ground. It's a relief to be away from the two of them and not inside either.

He turns his head around and sees Malin still staring at him, wondering if they're supposed to do anything. "I wouldn't if I were you," he calls out at them. "Mozi clearly wants you to behave yourself, and if you come after me, either I kill you, or I leave you so injured, you're unable to walk and you don't even have your friend to help you. Do you really want to be abandoned, again?"

They raise a middle finger and walk into the bar, and to that, Judas just laughs and laughs and laughs. He hops across the clouds, resting on a bridge with a smile on his face. Those fucking clowns, they really fucked themselves over, and for what?

His work with the two of them is done, but that doesn't mean Judas doesn't have more hell to raise. He sits on the bridge and counts on his hands to remember who's left. The pairs from One and Two, they're busy enough… the girl from Three though.

Three's angry, Judas remembers that from her interview. Talking to her will be like prodding a bear, and if he can successfully get her to snap, maybe even on her ally. Well, then that'll be another success for Judas to put under his belt.

Now if he could just find her…

He knew staying in this castle was a terrible fucking idea.

Calsin's about to leave with Ellie to go on their first hunt when he hears the sound of water, probably from the upstairs bathroom near the room where the two of them spent the night. He asks her, "Did you leave the faucet on when you were washing your hands?"

"After I peed?" Ellie tilts her head to the side. "No, I actually forgot to wash my hands. Sorry about that."

Good lord, she's a mess, he muses, but there isn't time to reflect. What the two of them really need to do is fucking run…

The gurgling noises continue as the two of them race down the stairs, weapons in their hands. At one point, he recognizes Ellie's heavy breathing beside him and tilts his head to see her hunched over, with her hands on her knees and her tongue hanging out of her mouth like she's a dog. Calsin grabs onto her wrist and screams, "We need to fucking run, Ellie!"

"Fine," she pouts, looking down to notice that there's water now touching her feet. "Where the fuck did that come from?"

"Doesn't matter, we need to get out of here before it gets worse!" He practically has to drag her across the ground, her eyes blinking in confusion as more water splashes against them. They slide through the entry room, a burst of water shooting out at one of the chandeliers and causing it to shake. Calsin runs with her towards the doorway and pushes the weight of his body against it in hopes that it'll open.

It doesn't, so he scream "fuck!" before realizing that he forgot to unlock it. Ellie had told him that it would be a safe idea to lock it while they sleep, and at the time Calsin agreed, because he didn't think this would happen. He didn't think he'd feel the pressure of the water brushing up against his back, his head slowly submerging under as he fiddles with the lock. He hears a click, then sighs in relief before the turbulent waves swing the door open. He lands on his back, water drenching his clothes.

Calsin stands, squeezing the cloth of his shirt so that he can dry himself. His eyes scan the area, looking for Ellie, but a grumbling noise confirms she's not with him. He looks through the doors to see a man with eight green tentacles instead of legs sitting in the small puddle. Ellie is wrapped in one of his enormous arms, the other one holding a large trident.

"Let me go," she say, pulls at the creature's hair with desperation. It spits on her face, leaving a slimy substance on her skin. Her eyes glance over to Calsin, so she calls out to him. "I dropped my sword, can you help me."

And just like that, Calsin Verrillo's morality is forced to come into play.

It would be so easy for him to ignore her. It would be so fucking easy for him to just leave her to be ravaged by this beast, and her blood wouldn't even be on his hands. She's been annoying him for the past two days, and if he leaves her, she's no longer a problem to him. She's no longer a liability.

But if he leaves her, he's still responsible for the fact she died. If he leaves, the entire nation will see him betraying his close friend, and they'll hate him for it. Ellie's entire family will fucking hate it. Killing the boy from Five was one thing, but leaving Ellie to die is something way fucking worse.

Leaving Ellie to die is admitting that he's no different from Atlantis Seasbane. If he leaves her, he's just as monstrous as the creature that'll kill her.

And so, he sighs before extending his spear in the monster's direction. He grits his teeth and charges into the water. Calsin's knees shake as soon as his legs are drenched, but he perseveres. He lifts his hand and thrusts his spear against the monster's left arm, blood splattering against his face.

Calsin pushes deeper, cutting through the beast's flesh until it's forced to drop it's trident. It roars, wrapping Calsin in one of its tentacles, so he bends his arm behind him and pierces through the scales with his spear. Crimson sprays against his shirt as he thrusts the weapon at its chest. He uses his left foot to kick upwards at its jaw.

Ellie grabs onto him as the monster topples over and the two of them are back outside. There's a look of absolute fear on her face, one that Calsin's never seen before. She looks at him and smiles. "Holy shit, thank you so much… I'm just… what the fuck?"

"I don't know what that was either," Calsin says, brushing the creature off of him. "Did you see any indicator of something being in the castle with us?"

"I mean… I could've sworn that I saw the drain in the bathtub shaking last night, but when I looked again, it stopped." Her eyes are innocent, yet Calsin still finds himself frustrated with her. "Woah! I didn't think it would lead to a weird octopus man thing… I just thought I was tripping, literally."

"The drugs haven't worn off?" He asks. Lord, why the hell did she ruin and entire day with those again?

Ellie sighs. "No… they have. Because I wasn't tripping when I saw the drain move, hence why the octopus man probably came out of it, and tried to fucking strangle me."

Is this her fault? He doesn't know if he should be blaming her, though he wishes that she told him what happened. If she had just said she saw something suspicious, then he would've demanded they leave, and they wouldn't be without a shelter and without a good chunk of their supplies. But he'll play nice… "I'm so sorry that happened Ellie. It must've been really scary. I'm glad I saved you."

He isn't sure if he means it. Time and time again, Ellie keeps proving herself to be a liability.

"I'm glad too," she says with an exhale. She looks to the left and points to a bridge similar to the one they crossed from the Cornucopia to get to the castle. "Should we go there? For shelter I mean, since I assume you don't want to go back inside the palace."

He stands, dragging Ellie off the ground with him. "Yeah no… I'm not going back there. The best thing we can do at this point is walk over there and see what we're greeted with."

There's a chance that whatever is on the other side of the bridge is just as dangerous as the castle, but for once, Calsin's willing to risk the devil he doesn't know as opposed to going back inside. It's wrecked with water anyway, there's not much use.

Ellie follows him across the bridge, her face still frozen with spear. She doesn't even talk to him, which is definitely unusual for her. He isn't sure if he somehow did something wrong at some point or if it's just the trauma from being slung onto by a giant octopus thing and nearly dying, but Calsin decides it's the latter for his own sake.

When they reach the other side of the bridge, they're greeted by a large lake and palm trees. It's a paradise, the clouds tinted yellow to almost mimic sand. He sits down at the foot of the water and smiles. "Damnit Ellie, if only we'd found this place sooner."

"Damn right!" She nods her head with glee. "At least we're here now though."

Calsin takes a long look at her, glad to see that her mood seems to have lifted for the most part. He examines her face and notices that the monster's drool is still coating her skin. "You want to go into the lake and wash that off?"

Ellie pats on her cheek and notices how her fingers stick together. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea; you stay right here, Sinny!"

He watches as she steps into the lake, submerging her head under the water and rubbing her skin with her hands.

She's in there thirty seconds before Calsin calls out to her, "You okay?"

No response.

Instead, Ellie lifts her head out of the water, a plain expression lining her face. She's stoic in a way Calsin's unfamiliar with, and it feels unnatural even.

"Ellie?"

Again, she doesn't say anything, and instead walks closer to him.

"Um…. Endellion?"

She smiles a sinister smile and puts her hand on his shoulder.

He asks her, "Is everything okay?"

Butt he doesn't get a chance to hear her answer. Instead, she wraps her hands around his throat, and the world falls into an abysmal black.

15th Place: Ascot Vionet, District Eight - killed by Verdigris Ahane-Voclain

;) See you soon…

The Leaderboard
Lethia Aphelion: I
Icarus St. Augustine: I
Beowulf Haleot: I
Atlantis Seasbane: I
Calsin Verrillo: I
Verdigris Ahane-Voclain: I
Mozi Hongqi: II
Malin Mardari: I
Vancouver Easton: II