CLOVE'S POV
It's mid-day again. Yesterday we set up camp, today we just take turns watching the pyramid, while the three others search for other tributes. Even though Marvel hates the idea of another ally in the alliance- he's accepted it. Four doesn't talk much though. He throws spears, and that's all I know.
"Are you going to eat Clove?" Cato asks as he comes around to the other side of the pyramid. I needed to get away from the three boys.
I turn my head slowly. "Yes."
Cato comes closer to me, closing off space between us. I look up to meet his eyes, I start to get this urge. I fight it, but I don't have to for long.
"CATO! CA-TO!" he goes running to the tent. That's when it becomes clear. In the distance, but not too far away is smoke. Stupid tributes. When will they learn?
The four of us stand in the center of the clearing. We are trying to figure out the quickest path.
"I've got it! I-I've got it! Okay, you're fast, I can keep pace with you." I speak quickly to Cato. My words slur together almost. He nods.
"Marvel you need to come. If they are running, you can throw- and you can kill!" Cato adds.
The three of us begin to sprint from the campsite.
"WHAT ABOUT ME?" yells Four.
Cato runs backwards. "STAY AND DEFEND!"
He spins around gracefully, and catches up.
"Just like the old days." I mumble. He doesn't hear it though.
The smoke signal leads us to an empty site. There's no tribute. I lean down to touch the fire. It's something I was always intrigued by fire. Ever since I started training. My hand lightly brushes the twigs.
"It hasn't been long." Then it clicks.
"We need to get back to the site." I stammer. Marvel understands.
"No, we need to follow."
"Cato-"
"Follow."
Marvel defends me. "What. Don't. You. Get? She said we need to go back. We go back." The words sneer out of his mouth.
Cato shoves him up against a tree, his sword is in alignment for a decapitation.
"I HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO DO THIS TO YOU!" Cato is enraged.
Marvel starts laughing. "How. Dumb. Can. You be?"
It's me who stops the chaos. "DAMN IT CATO IT WAS A TRAP AND ALL OUR FOOD- IT'S GOING TO BE GONE!"
His sword doesn't drop.
"SHUT UP CLOVE." The comment draws a resentment I have felt ever since this journey began. I take my knife out and flick it just so it misses Cato's leg.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?"
Marvel is able to slip from his grasp- now it is him with Cato pushed into the tree.
"LISTEN TO HER. I WANT TO KILL YOU JUST AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO ME! YOU HAVE NO IDEA." He lets Cato go, who once is free adjusts his jacket to make it as if nothing ever happened. Marvel's face is hard. I roll my eyes, and start the vicious run back to our camp.
The two boys are behind me, and that's when it happens.
BOOM! The ground of the arena shakes violently from where we are. There's a high pitched sound. He passes me, Cato emberges into the clearing of our campsite, and I follow. There is a site of destruction. All of the food supply is gone. A dust storm has basically occured. Cato confronts the boy from District Four.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" He is closing the space between the two of them. Will he punch him? Break his nose? Straight kill him?
The boy is shaking his head with a combonation of shrugging. His stance become defensive. Cato clearly does not want to hear it. His hands grab the boy's neck and snap. His lifeless boy falls to the ground.
CATO'S POV
I feel a sense of rage. My muscles are tensing, my back is tightening, my breathing is growing rapid. Stupid Four. My hands are the size of his face practically. They wrap perfectly around his neck. I remember what Brutus taught me days ago.
"Bend the neck forward, twist- the quicker the better."
The boy's body falls to the ground in a heap. The light in his eyes is gone. The high pitched noise has stopped. My sword draws outward. The birds in the arena are singing, a tune- why would the Capitol inhance a tune?
There's a scream.
"KATNISS! KATNISS!" OF COURSE.
Clove is already running in one direction, Marvel and I follow. However we all vere off in slightly different directions. Marvel goes left, Clove has already dissapeared to my right. I continue forward. This could be it. I could wrap my hands around Marvel's neck. I could finally ring his neck for everything during training. FINALLY. It wouldn't be quick, I'd give the audience a show with him. Two cannons break my thoughts. Shit- Clove!
I go running to my right. Sprinting.
"CLOVE! CLOVE!" No response.
No. No. It couldn't be her cannon.
"CLOVE! GOD DAMNIT CLOVE!" My scream drags her name out into the silent woods. A branch breaks to the side of me, my sword comes right out as instinct.
But it drops to the ground.
"CATO!" Her voice sounds pained, but she is in one piece. No wounds.
"Didn't you hear me?" she yells as she throws a punch into my chest.
"I t-t-thought it was your cannon!" I grabs her wrists to stop the abuse. She never was good with anger. I pull Clove into my chest.
"I thought it was you!" she says again and again. My hand holds her head into my chest. Leaning down, I kiss her hair.
"Clove. Clove. I'm here. I'm here and I'm fine." I can feel her face scrunch and hear the sound of slight sobbing.
What is she going to do when I sacrafice myself to let her win? Slowly, I sit down on a tree trunk- still holding her into me. I have never seen her so upset, so weak. All because she thought I was dead.
"Cato." she says my name monotone. I look down to her face.
"One of us is going to die, and if it's me.."
"Don't Clove. Just don't."
She nods and stands up.
"Might as well save what can be saved.." she leads the way to the campsite. Marvel isn't there. We both know, but we don't acknowledge it.
Clove is on one side of the clearing- going through bags, making the load easier to carry. I am right beside her, compromising on items we need. A voice booms in the arena. It's the first voice I have heard from humanity.
"ATTENTION TRIBUTES ATTENTION. THE REGULATIONS REQUIRING A SINGLE VICTOR HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. FROM NOW ON TWO VICTORS MAY BE CROWNED IF BOTH ORIGINATE FROM THE SAME DISTRICT. THIS WILL BE THE ONLY ANNOUNCEMENT."
