Chapter 12: Bonds Unraveled

A/N: So, the Career Alliance will finally be undone this chapter. Whether they part ways peacefully or not - you'll find out soon enough. Let's do this!

LittleMermade - Thanks for reviewing, and your questions, or at least one of them, are going to be answered.

ForsakenKnight44 - Heya, and thanks for the positive feedback. Any constructive criticism is appreciated.

Day 9

Location: The Arena, Career Camp

Sophia Kirhart's P.O.V.

I watch the stars shimmer in the darkness. The feeling is a lie, although I indulge in it.

The nagging feeling I have only increases as I gaze over my sleeping allies.

Allies that'll be gone in the morning. Then I'll be on my own.

I grip my sword in my hands. I consider killing Vulcan, as his blond hair shimmers in the moonlight that flows into the camp. I decide against killing him - he's been nothing but nice to me, so far. As much as I bear a grudge against him, as misplaced as the grudge is.

I don't want to see him go. Not yet.

The indescribable feeling of being bathed in the light of the moon is really something else… even if said moon is a fake moon. The fake moon in question has been a full moon the entire time - not a single change.

It could represent the bloodthirsty lunatics the Careers are typically stereotyped as.

I gaze out into the darkness, not wanting to know what's to come.

Uncle Cato… the winner of the 74th Hunger Games once told me something.

Flashback

4 years ago

Location: District 2, Victor's Village

"Uncle Cato, can we rewatch the tape of your Games?"

Cato looks at me.

"You sure, Soph?"

"Yeah, uncle! Then when I volunteer, I'll be just like you."

I watch on-screen as the 74th Hunger Games play out. He stopped the TV after his district partner died.

"That was my friend. Clove."

"You had a crush on her, uncle? You're not supposed to do that; Wade said it's best not to do that."

Cato chuckles at me as he ruffles my hair.

"You'll find out when you grow up, Soph. And you shouldn't listen to Wade."

Cato laughs at his own joke - he and Wade were good friends.

I watch the rest of his Games in rapt attention. He put a little girl from 12 out of her misery. His final opponent was a hulking boy from 11. After an epic showdown atop the Cornucopia, he pushed the massive boy down to the mutts, and was declared the victor.

Cato then turned off the TV, and I tugged his sleeve.

"Uncle, when is Aunt Val coming over?"

"Soon, soon. OK? Just be patient, Soph."

"Oh! Uncle, there's something I wanted to ask you about."

"Go ahead."

"Did you love Clove?"

Cato then suddenly grew somber, and said a mini-speech that would remain etched in my mind forever.

"Soph… You can't stop the inevitable march of time. You don't know what kind of person you are until you reach the very end. Don't you think that what death's about?"

I looked up at him, genuinely confused.

"You'll see what I mean when you're in the Arena, Soph."

Present time

I didn't understand what Cato told me then… but now, I understand what he meant.

Time's up. I go over to Cyrus, and shake him awake.

"Wha- Sophia…?"

I shake him harder.

"Cyrus, you're on watch duty now."

Cyrus suddenly springs up, seemingly brimming with energy; his axe in hand.

"Alright. You can go to sleep, I guess."

I slip into my sleeping bag, and I attempt to sleep.

Sleep evades me, however. It's because of that nagging feeling that tells me something's off.

My worst fears are confirmed soon enough.

When I start drifting off, I wake up to an all too familiar sound. One I don't want to hear. The sound of a weapon piercing the skin.

"...See, Four? I told you I'd target you first when we split up."

I immediately wake up to Cyrus driving his axe into Adrian's chest, right through his sleeping bag.

"Cyrus! What are you doing?!", I forcefully whisper to him. I grab my sword, ready to fight him if need be.

"Splitting the alliance, and at the same time, cutting down my biggest competition."

He twirled his axe and raised it toward me.

"Well, Sophia… 'cause we're from the same district, 'cause we got history… I'll let you go - just this once."

I take him up on his offer - I don't want to stick around and witness the battle. I swiftly grab my backpack and sleeping bag, and flee the scene.

I don't stop until I've got to the river; a sizable distance away from camp. I look back - I hear metal clashing on metal along with screams.

Fording the river, I raced into the ruined cliff sector. It was more sensible than going to the highlands - since there was more cover, and the fact that more tributes were less likely to be there.

Rain Orion's P.O.V.

BOOM. BOOM.

I was awoken from my slumber by two cannon shots.

My eyes immediately come into contact with the sponsor gift . Still sapped of my strength and with my shoulder burn, I use my legs to scooch myself, and to bring the gift over to me.

I struggle to open the gift with one hand, but I manage anyway. To my delight, it's burn ointment, along with a note from Katniss.

"Use this and stay alive. Find Sophia."

Katniss

Find Sophia…? She tricked me… Unless… her alliancemates just coincidentally stumbled upon her?

What if she didn't trick me after all?

Regardless, I needed to stay on guard. I applied the burn cream to my left shoulder. The pain was near unbearable at first, but it started to fade away as the ointment worked its magic.

When my burn was treated and now tolerable, I peeked out of my nook. It was nighttime, and I already was recharged from my sleep.

With my backpack, I traversed the ruined cliff sector. I came across a ravine, and once I gained some height by climbing a nearby pile of massive stones, I threw my backpack across, with it landing

I leaped across the ravine, and I thought I wasn't going to make it, but I managed to grab the edge of the cliff, with some rocks falling to the darkness below me.

The pain seared through my left arm as I pulled myself up - my burn wasn't fully healed yet.

As I pulled myself up, I heard a small sound and instinctively rolled behind a rock for cover. An arrow whizzed by where I was hiding.

I armed myself with my folding knife and shouted:

"Who's there?!"

Someone responded.

"Your demise."

I peek my head out, and I barely see my attacker before he sends another arrow my way. I duck behind the rock.

"Just come out and accept your death. I have two full quivers of arrows."

It's the boy from 6, Vincent.

"Once I got the supplies from the Careers, your fate was decided once I found you."

So he was the one who killed the girl from 1, mostly likely.

I think of a plan to get around him. I can't fight him like this - I needed my backpack. I picked up a sizable rock and threw it blindly, knowing he's reloading and preparing to shoot me.

My gambit succeeded, as I hit him in the chest with the rock itself, stunning him for a moment. A moment was all I needed before launching myself into action.

I lunged at him, knocking the bow out of his hands, and throwing it into the ravine behind me. He immediately flees, leaving his two quivers of arrows behind. I grab my backpack, which was lying nearby, and I made a run for it.

Jose Aspen's P.O.V.

Location: Highland Sector, Tribute Camp

I was in an alliance with the District 10's male tribute, Robert.

He survived out in the open highlands for seven days on his own, before I found him and we agreed on an alliance. He survived on just the food he took from the Cornucopia - and could go longer without food, being from a poor District like 10.

According to him, he wanted to take the Careers' supplies, and we'd move on the plan tomorrow. I'd be the diversion, while he would go in and take down any guards.

We would go on to explore the highlands- there was nothing much to see. Mostly hills and flat lands otherwise.

I told him of my desire to get revenge on Rain for outwitting and thwarting my plans - which he reluctantly agreed to.

"Why do you want to get revenge against the boy from 12 so badly? That would only get you killed…"

I scoffed slightly.

"He's been one-upping me for the entirety of the Games - it's time I give him a taste of his own medicine."

The ideal place would be the Feast - which I knew Rain would be drawn to.

The time draws nigh...

Sophia Kirhart's P.O.V.

I wandered the cliff sector aimlessly - there was nothing much I could do. I could've tried to save my allies from being killed by Cyrus, but no. I didn't.

I left them to die to save my own skin.

"What's the point of allying if you can't trust the person watching your back?!

I rested in a nook between the rocks as shelter, and the place looked like someone passed by earlier. It could have been Rain or any other tribute…

Looking around, I saw some stains on the floor - blood.

I laid my arena jacket over it and unpacked my belongings for now, as I ate a small amount of meat for dinner that night.

When night fell, I crane my head to see the Capitol emblem appear in the sky.

Adrian.

...and the girl from 11.

So, Vulcan and Aileen are still alive, and somehow escaped the battle.

I sigh in relief, knowing casualties were kept to the minimum. I rest for the next day.

A/N: Whew - and that's that. Let's go over who's still alive...

District 1 - Vulcan Prisma

District 2 - Cyrus Rankine & Sophia Kirhart

District 3 - Ellie Volicy

District 4 - Aileen Kendari

District 5 - (none)

District 6 - Vincent Crox

District 7 - Jose Aspen

District 8 - (none)

District 9 - (none)

District 10 - Robert Leiden

District 11 - (none)

District 12 - Rain Orion

Now, for the fallen…

Velvet Ritchson (District 1, killed by Vincent Crox of D6 after being caught in a surprise attack)

Adrian Bismarck (District 4, axed in the chest by Cyrus Rankine of D2)

Linde Huskor (District 11, succumbed to her burns from the Gamemaker's meteor strikes on the forest sector of the Arena)

Now, as to Cato's quote - it's a reference to his name origin + his final speech, rant, and mental breakdown to Katniss in the first Hunger Games movie - in which I felt was a humanizing moment for him. Now that I've said that, see you guys later, and please take the time to review if you want. Stay safe out there, and farewell for now :)