CATO'S POV
I hold her in my arms, her head is still in my lap. This is not what I thought would've happened. Not even in my wildest dreams, it was supposed to be me. Not her. And then with the rule change, it was supposed to be together. Time passes. I feel her warmth decreasing, and I know the moment I leave the hovercraft will pick up her cold body with an equally as cold claw.
"I'm sorry" I whisper to her. I am sorry, for Glimmer, for volunteering, for not telling her sooner. Shit, if I would've we could be home right now. Alive.
Slowly I rise. My face is hard, I can feel it. I will not cry. I will not give the Capitol a chance to see me fall apart. I leave her dead body right next to the corucopia. I've said all I could. I'm sorry. I love you. I leave the scene of her, slowly I turn on the ball of my heel and nod in her direction- a small grin on my lips. She was everything I could've ever wanted, and yet so much more. Sure, the Capitol feed has picked up on this, but frankly I don't think they are concerned with Clove. I wander back into the foilage of the forest, and that's exactly what I do; continue to wander. The sun is setting, and yet I don't stop moving. Instead, I simply lean into a tree, my forehead against what should be Clove's. . .
How do you keep going when the worst thing has happened?
What do you have to change inside to survive?
Who do you have to become?
And then I remember what Clove said at one point. It was a night in the Capitol, we were arguing. And she called me, ruthless, there more words mentioned, but I know what I must be. Be the Cato that Clove couldn't stand, Be the man that got his way with anyone, Be the Cato that fights. This is no longer about winning. It's about vengence. I will avenge my love. Even if it's the last thing I do- I've already lost the games. Without her, there isn't much. Only a crown to win, but a crown and riches won't give me her life back.
I can feel the tears of rage wanting to come through. No. It's still dark, but the temperature is dropping drastically. I seek shelter in the only place I know- the cornucopia. In the clearing, there are no signs of the event that took place. I kick something, and soon realize what it is. It's the bag of supplies. The bag with a number two. Surprised the Capitol didn't take it . . .I sit in the deepest part of the shelter. And I open the bag slowly, holding back tears. Inside is ointment in a silver tin, pills marked for pain- and no side effects. At the very bottom is a note from Brutus. I don't bother reading it, it just gets torn up. The wind picks up, it bangs on the tin siding. It's a reminder almost. It's like Clove won't let me forget that I was just seconds late of saving her life.
I creep slowly out of the cornucopia. The air has become colder, the arena's moon is full in size. The games must almost be over. In the woods, not far from the clearing, I find comfort for the night. My back on the lumpy, forest ground. Her voice surrounds. Eventually it stops, and I sleep the best I can.
It's warm, really warm. Waking up in a cold sweat, there's nothing worse. The sun is almost right above- noon. A cannon booms, I'm right to my feet. This isn't a hallucination. No one comes running though. And the trees don't move where I am. Another tribute down.
Four remain. One team.
There's no one to talk stategy with, so what I say is it.
Thresh, if that's the last person I kill, so be it. As long as I get my sword into his chest. He'll suffer much more then Clove did, I'll watch the light drain from his eyes; the same way I had to watch Clove's . . . I steak out a mile radius around the clearing, but there's no one.
It's only been an hour or so, but the sky is looking like twilight. Must be in a hurry to end it all. And they are. All light fades, except for the moon. There's a loud bark, and another one. Even in the twilight of the day, I can see the eyes glistening in the low lit arena. Mutts. They are huge, and for the first time- my life is threatened here. The first one is smaller and tackles me into the hard packed Earth. It tears at my face, and I feel the open wound on my forehead. Somehow, my sword finds its way into the neck of the beast. The moment I am composed, I run. I sprint the way I used to with Clove. But this time it isn't for fun, it's to save my life. I hit the cornucopia hard, hard enough to bruise. For whatever reason no Mutts have followed, but I hear a deep voice rumble. Thresh. A cannon sounds. From on top of the cornucopia I throw my first into the air. He's dead. Whatever those things are, they got him. I may not have been the one, but either way he's dead. The ground is being pounded on. The barks of the Mutts are right here. They are in the clearing. I breathe hard with my eyes squinted closed.
"Show them what you are made of." Brutus always said. This is what he meant. It's time. Quickly, I drop to an army position. My stomach to the -copia. The barks are echoing and certaining booming against the tin. Their claws are stratching like nails on a chalkboard. The star-crossd lovers are here. I see them staring down at whatever Capitol Mutts are here. And that's when I take her. My hand goes to her shoulder, throwing her down viciously. While she's on the ground, I take the boy and throw one strong punch to the right side of his face. No more perfect face. Both of them are down. Then Peeta decides to fight, he's strong, but not strong enough. Those Mutts sure are impatient- the claws and barks are growing frequent. I push Peeta off of me. This is no place for a baker. Katniss is coming now, her face- fierce, but I throw Peeta into her, which results in her on her knees once more. The adreninaline is pumping my veins. Instantly my hand grabs onto his back roughly, flinging him upward. Of course it's only for him to be knocked down again, the boot on my foot finds its way to his ribs for one swift kick. Now for Katniss. The reason Clove is gone . . . I have my sword ready for her. But there is me, and to my left is her and my right the boy. The two of them are crawling like the pathetic tributes they are. Katniss gets to her feet. I swing with my sword- right for her throat. I miss, she dodges. Shit, Cato focus. I can hear Clove's voice yelling at me to focus. Her small hand tries to wrap around my throat. Not today. I have her pinned down, her braided hair hanging off the cornucopia, the Mutts are going wild. This is for Clove. I'll make it a show. Katniss gags as I run my hands from her eye sockets to her throat. She's fighting so hard. I start to strangle harder. Lover Boy to the rescue though. He grabs my waist and throws me away. Remember Cato. Remember the training. He is strong. Peeta tries to throw me again, but I dodge. I have him by the waist, then he has me. Then I have him. Katniss is gasping for air. I can hear it, but now, my biceps are around Peeta's neck- how easily I could snap it. I stare face to face with an arrow. That's when I realize something. These games are what took Clove from me. How sick can the Capitol be? Not anymore sick then I am. I lose Clove, and she's going to lose Peeta. One final show for the audience. There's blood foaming from my mouth, everything goes silent except for Peeta's constant groans as I pull tighter and tighter as a reminder of who is in charge. The arrow hasn't lowered.
"Go on." I tease. "Shoot." Peeta struggles still. I don't care about dying anymore. I care about getting even. If I can't have my love, she can't have hers. Her facial expression goes to confusion slightly as she eyes the boy in my deadly grasp.
". . .And we both go down and you win." Her eyes lock on Peeta, but her arrow follows every slight movement.
"Go on. . . I'm dead anyway." Not a lie. I shrug. "I always was right?"
She could shoot, but her boy will go down too. But you have to sarcrafice. No one is a victor by chance. .
I feel the damage of the Capitol, and I stare into her bow. I am dead. ". . I didn't know that till now." The words come out thick. I am just a kid.
I look behind me. I look to the sky. "HOW'S THAT?! IS THAT WHAT THEY WANT?" The Girl on Fire lets me talk. Her bow lowers only a smidge. She feels. I know it.
"HUH?" I adjust Peeta in my arms, her bow goes up. "OHHH." I say in a loud sneer, as I pull him to my right side. There are Mutts below- waiting. Peeta continues to struggle, but I'm wrapping perfectly for a neck break.
"NO, NAH. NAH. I can still do this." It's a reminder that I can. I repeat it. My hand is almost in perfect position to finish him. "I. can. still. do. this." I say again. My face srunches with blood as I repeat the statement.
"One more kill. . . It's the only thing I know how to do." I whisper, I'm ready to finish him. All we ever sought out to do was wreck the Star-Crossed Lovers of District Twelve.
"Bring pride to my district." My voice cracks. " . . not that it matters." I won't have her. Silence. An arrow sticks right into my hand. I scream in agony. Peeta spins and pushes me off the tip of the cornucopia. I'm dead. The Mutts begin to eat. Every tooth feels like a knife, a sword. It's like hell. I always knew I'd die, but this is one of the worst.
"AHHH." A Mutt tears deeply into my flesh. Continuously I scream. I can see the two victors above- talking. She draws her bow-
And I feel it sink into me. There's no more pain. The Mutts- I feel nothing. My body is numb, and the last image I see;
is her. Clove. The only person I ever loved.
