Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or the characters used except for Lera.

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It went so fast no one realized what was going on. As the hive fell on the ground the tracker jackers burst out of it. Lera had time to grab the backpack next to her which she assumed was hers and then run to the lake as Cato has ordered. During this time she sensed a few- maybe four or five wasp stings and wiped the animals out of her skin, taking a couple of the stingers but leaving another two or three. By the time she reached the lake the tracker jackers were gone, they'd left her. She looked behind her noticing Marvel and Peeta who were not so fast. In the lake below Cato and Clove were washing the animals off themselves. So there's only Glimmer left. And then what? Then they'd chase Katniss down and kill her and murder her, too. Slowly, Lera started walking towards the other side of the river. They haven't noticed her so maybe if she makes it quietly they won't pay any attention to her.

But every step was getting more difficult than the previous one. Her head started spinning, she was beginning to lose sense in her feet and stumble. That's when she remembered the tracker jackers caused hallucinations. Oh, no, not now, she pleaded and continued walking over the rocks to the other side. Her legs and arms were heavy, her backpack was pulling her towards the ground, her head was spinning so fast she couldn't tell left from right, up from down. She heard something like a distant cannon fire. So Katniss was dead. Now they'd kill her.

The tribute fell on her knees and started crawling, desperate to get away from here. By the time she reached the other side and stepped into the trees she collapsed.

She was chased by terrible nightmares. In a second she was at home, then in the woods, constantly running, trying to save herself. In a moment she called out Cato's name, trying to save him, in the next he was chasing her, hoping to murder her.

She woke in mid afternoon with a start. She didn't know what day it was and what was going on. The girl tried to remember what has happened. She was in the woods with the Careers, then she woke up by a wasp nest falling next to her. She crossed the river and… she'd probably lost conscious. Lera touched the ground, exploring her surroundings. She was alone, that's for sure. Which is good, it meant no one has found her. She also had her backpack with her. And was terribly thirsty and hungry. The tribute opened her bag to see if there are by chance any supplies. And she was very surprised to see there were and they were a lot more than she expected. The redheaded realized she had picked the wrong backpack- Clove's.

The girl has taken her weapons and Lera was pleased to find them here, altogether with a bottle full of water and some food. Her whole body hurt so she was pleased she didn't have to move much- maybe she could spy on the Career's tomorrow.

Then a thought stroke her. She was positive she heard a cannon fire before she collapsed. Who was dead then? Katniss, maybe Peeta? Or have they teamed up and killed a Career? Could it be Cato? She bit her lower lip, processing the thought. The chance was minimum but who knows, this are the Hunger Games after all.

Lera's day passed in finding a place to sleep safely and ensuring there is no one in her perimeter. She was feeling safer now that she had her weapons with her but she still didn't know how many tributes were left. The night showed that no tributes died today. That didn't give her any sense at all about what she'd missed so she tried to count the left ones. Marvel and Glimmer from One. Cato and Clove from Two. A boy from Three. Herself. A girl from Five she'd never seen since the start of the Games. A boy from Ten. Both from Eleven and Katniss and Peeta. And one of them was dead. She assumed it would be the loners- not the ones in love and not the Careers. If the pack has found the two Twelves they'd be two deaths, not one.

Lera would have slept the whole next day if it wasn't for the cannon. Another death. Who was it this time? She shrugged because she would have to wait to find out. Divination is pointless. She waited and realized the hovercraft, coming to collect the body, landed not so far from where she was staying- on the other side of the river. So the killer was still here. Or the killers.

It was time to spy on the Career's camp just to make sure Cato was alright. She knew she risked it all- she could get caught and killed this time for sure. But her heart sunk at the thought he might be one of the goners so she walked quietly towards the place their camp was before she fainted.

And she came up empty. Their camp was left there- unprotected, like they wished for someone to go in. She squinted- maybe they really wished for it. They may be lying somewhere in the bushes or set some sort of trap. Before she could figure it out the girl from Five sprinted. She seemed a bit pale but well fed- so she could take care of herself. Lera hadn't seen her but since she was ok and alive that meant that she had to investigate two deaths, none of which hers. If it was Cato?

What brought her out of her thoughts was that Five was able to reach the Cornucorpia grab some supplies and run away. And nothing happened. Maybe the Careers weren't so smart after all. What did they think? That everyone was so scared they wouldn't dare get near them? Oh, they were wrong.

Lera pulled out her weapons while approaching. She made just a few steps however before someone shot an arrow at the camp. This left just two options: Katniss or Glimmer. It'd probably be the latter as she was the incapable hunter here and the one probably with the bow- Katniss didn't have it last time she checked. Anyway, the tribute felt she'd better run. But before she could make another step a second arrow was blown at the supplies cutting a bag of apples which fell and then everything went so fast…

As the apples touched the ground it erupted. Lera instantly knew there were mines- the reason why the Careers have left their supplies unprotected. Good plan as she would have run right into it. She didn't do much better though.

The wave from the eruption blew her back against the trees and she fell on the ground very hard. Her lungs hurt as the air was worked off her breast. She had to lie there for a minute to catch her breath and then tried to stand. The girl suddenly realized she'd twisted her arm pretty badly and could barely move it without pain. Her head was spinning but it was very different from the tracker jackers venom. When they poisoned her she was beginning to lose her senses, her mind as hallucinations tried to drown her.

This time her head hurt and she didn't know what to do so she just waited. A voice in her mind reminded her she must run away but the tribute just didn't listen.

Then Cato appeared. With Clove and Marvel. And a boy she knew was from Three. He wasn't with them before when she ran away. Probably they'd teamed up with him later.

Cato was mad. More than mad. He seemed to have lost his mind as he kept shouting at the skinny new member of the group. Then, in an instant he broke his neck. Just like that. The picture settled up in Lera's mind giving her a boost- she jumped on her feet and ran as far away as she could before falling on the ground.

Her head hurt so much she knew she had concussion. And her arm was starting to get hotter- so it was also swelling. But for now she couldn't think about that- she just laid down, leaving her body and head to rest.

Cato's expression made her shiver slightly. She'd never seen him so angry. That meant only one thing- Katniss got the bow and arrow. Then where was Glimmer? It suddenly struck her. A few days ago, by the lake she didn't see her but heard a cannon fire. Then she wasn't with them today. She was the one death tribute.

And the other? It wasn't one of the Careers, nor the girl from Five or Katniss. That left the boy from 10, both from Eleven and Peeta. Peeta… could it be? She had to find out, she owed it to him. For giving her food and therefore partially saving her. Lera jumped and realized it was a bad idea as the pain and spinning increased. So she just had to lie there until next morning…

A few hours later there was a cannon fire. Then another. If Katniss and Peeta aren't dead this may mean they are. Usually a couple is killed like this- fast and the second follows the first. It may be a coincidence though.

As the night came and she was finishing the last of her left-from-Clove supplies, including the water she found out she was wrong. First Marvel appeared- which, of course, surprised her. Was there a fight between him and Cato? If not then why wasn't he with the Careers? Had they separated because of that boy that Cato killed so carelessly? She doubted it. The wolf appeared on the night's sky, followed by the boy from Ten. So that was the missing one. Last was the girl from Eleven which she'd noticed a couple of times- she was very fast running in the trees. Lera wondered if she'd killed Marvel and then paid for it.

Oh, well, that meant there were 7 of them left. Which meant her parents and trainer would be asked questions back in District Four. She gave out a little smile as she faced the camera- something she hasn't done since the Careers captured her.

- Greetings to all people from District Four. I made it in the final seven. When the Capitol citizens come for an interview, treat them right.

She knew this would confuse Panem. Half of them, mostly the Capitol, would think she encouraged District Four to be nice with the guests. But in fact she meant they should not treat them well- she was angry at them. For killing all these people, for their repression, for the mere fact they were happy to watch how innocent children murder each other. It was sick. She remembered Cato's face while taking that boy's life- like it was nothing. The tribute had family who'd watched this back at home. She gulped- it was not right. And Cato, just like the huge part of Panem, was sick. If she made it through, she'd show them. The girl faced the sky and promised to dedicate her life to this cost- but to stop these sadistic terrifying and horrible Hunger Games. 74 years have passed. It's time to put an end.

Lera woke up. The pain in her head was gone but, according to the doctors back at home she needed to rest for at least two weeks. Too bad she didn't have that much time. She tried to move her arm and found out it still hurt. Although just in the shoulder. She had no problems moving her wrist, hand or arm but her shoulder joint was swollen, red and painful to use. Nevertheless, the tribute couldn't just sit and wait for anything to happen so she raised herself and walked slowly to the lake. Her plan was to drink, eat and explore the place where she passed out, possibly to find Peeta- she owed him at least a share of her supplies.

The redheaded walked slowly to the lake, being careful and not pushing herself too much. She refreshed herself with the cold liquid and filled her bottle. Just as she was about to leave the lake she noticed there was fish, swimming carelessly. In an instant she threw both her sais and one of them caught the swimming thing, killing it.

- Ahh… - she gasped as her left shoulder protested against the throwing. The girl couldn't throw well with it, otherwise she would have caught two fishes instead of one.

But one was good enough for breakfast, too. She released her knife, releasing the flow of blood which drained from the animal in the water. Then she caught the death thing and just as she stepped on a rock she heard a moan.

She quickly turned around which caused her a headache but she didn't care as long as she was alive. Quietly, she started walking forward, against the sound until it came again and the ground beneath her moved.

Lera jumped backwards and noticed she had stepped on some mud with blood in it. A second check and it was clear.

Peeta was lying beneath her.

- Peeta? – she whispered and bent down.

His blue eyes opened, startling her.

- What's going on?

- Cato hurt me, I can't move. Please, kill me fast, it's agonizing enough already. – his voice was trembling, it was obvious he was in a lot of pain.

Lera let out a sad smile and said:

- I won't kill you. I owe you. – then she reached for the bottle of water and handed it over to him. The girl walked over to the fish she had left on the rocks to burn and found it half cooked. She grabbed it and got back to Peeta. – Take these. To thank you for what you did to me. What happened?

- Glimmer died by the tracker jacker's poison. When Cato saw her, he completely lost his mind. He wanted to chase Katniss but I stopped him. Or, at least, tried to. – his voice trailed off, his eyes scanning the ground, looking for answers. – Is she alright?

Lera smiled: - Yeah, totally, she blew up their supplies.

- Good. – the tension in his voice fell. He looked at the sky for another moment and then asked: - Why do you save me? You know you will do me a favor if you kill me before someone else does. At least, you'd do it quick.

The redheaded shook her head: - No. First of all I cannot kill you. I simply can't. – it was true. After that night she couldn't take another person's life even if her own depended on hers. She thought she could, she thought she could shake off of it. But she couldn't. – And someone might actually help you. – she was, of course, referring to Katniss, who according to Lera would look for him soon enough. Without saying another word she filled his bottle again and left it to him, along with the fish. – Keep it, Peeta. And good luck. – then she left for the woods. Just as she stepped into the hidden area she heard Caesar's voice:

"Attention, tributes, attention! There's been a rule change. On this occasion only, two victors can be presented…"

Lera's mind came up with the solution: "As long as they are not from the same sex." But before a smile even covered her face she heard the end: "As long as they are from the same District."

Her hope faded. Her last hope faded.