"You were spectacular!" Julius shrilled. "Absolutely marvelous!"

Crystal forced a thin smile. "Thanks."

Julius tottered away to congratulate Velvet on her mentoring, although he believed it'd been all down to him.

"I think Julius's briefs are too tight," Bronze whispered with a grin.

Crystal giggled. "Aren't they always? Come on; let's go find Ace and Garnet. I want to watch the re-caps."

Bronze and Crystal crept to the elevator, took the short ride to the floor above and snuck into Two's lounge.

Fortunately, Beowulf and Meredith were absent, and Ace was fixing himself a drink at the bar.

"Are you supposed to be drinking that?" Crystal snapped, mischief dancing in her golden orbs.

"Will you grass on me if I say no?" Ace retorted with a smirk. "Want one?"

"Please," Crystal replied, flicking on the TV. "I'm parched."

"Make that two, bud," said Bronze, throwing himself into the leather recliner.

"Show some manners," Crystal scolded, annoyed by his lack of respect.

Bronze grinned. "You sound just like Julius."

Crystal grimaced as Ace handed out drinks.

"Where's Gar?" asked Bronze, staring intently at the screen, which was about to show the re-caps.

"Showering, I think," Ace answered, taking a seat beside Crystal and draping his arm around her shoulders. "She hates make-up."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Crystal snorted.

The trio fell silent as Caesar opened the show and announced Crystal.

Crystal watched as she paraded onto the stage in her mini-dress.

"You looked stunning," Ace whispered. "I could've just eaten you up."

"I'm flattered," Crystal giggled. "But sadly, I'm not edible at the moment."

"No," Ace agreed. "But you're mine. That's what counts."

Crystal had barely registered what he'd said before Bronze came onto the screen.

"I looked hot," said Bronze, impressed.

"If you don't say so yourself," Crystal murmured.

"You did indeed," said Garnet, joining them in the lounge. "But party's over, folks. We need to rest up."

Crystal smirked. "It's way past your curfew, huh?"

Garnet glared at her. "Just leave. You'll thank me in the morning."

"See you tomorrow, babe," Ace whispered in Crystal's ear. "Oh, and Happy Hunger Games."

"May the odds be ever in your favor," Crystal replied with a grin.

.

Crystal awoke to Bronze's excited rambling.

She groaned and rolled out of bed.

"Rise and shine, Cryst," Bronze taunted, swinging a bucket around mockingly. "Don't make me pour this."

"Don't you dare!" Crystal hissed, scrambling to her feet and gazing at her reflection. "Oh, shit. Bed hair!"

"You look hot," Bronze teased. "Anyway, get a move on. We have to be at the hovercraft in twenty minutes."

Crystal's heart pounded with excitement as she blurred around her suite.

"Goodbye, Capitol," Crystal said softly. "It's been wonderful."

She joined Bronze, Velvet and Julius in the lounge.

Julius embraced her in a suffocating hug.

"Good luck!" he sobbed, tears streaming down his surgically altered face. "I believe in you!"

"Thanks, Jules," Crystal replied stiffly. Julius released her and began to weep.

Velvet squeezed Crystal's hand. "Are you ready?"

"I was born ready," Crystal replied confidently, smiling at Bronze.

The trio went to the roof-top of the building, where many hovercrafts waited.

"Bronze, Crystal," said Velvet before the pair boarded their individual hovercrafts. "I won't say goodbye, because I have faith in you. One of you will win. You're stronger than the rest of them."

"Thank you, Velvet," said Crystal, suddenly over-whelmed by emotion. "For everything. I will try my very best."

"Me too," Bronze put in.

"I know you will," said Velvet sadly, her emerald eyes welling with tears.

Crystal waved and bounded into her hovercraft. Frost was waiting inside.

"It's about time," he said coolly. "Let's get this show on the road."

As if on cue, all of the crafts lifted and set off in the direction of the arena, wherever that was.

Crystal picked at her nails, fidgeting with excitement. Her blood-thirsty desire to kill consumed her, and her instincts wouldn't allow her to remain still.

"You can win, you know," said Frost, his stormy grey eyes alight. "I'm glad I have the privilege of knowing you."

This comment was so unlike Frost that Crystal blinked in surprise.

"I know, thank you," she said, stunned.

The hovercraft landed, and Crystal tried to get a glimpse of the arena before the Peacekeepers escorted them to the catacombs, but she had no luck.

"Do you know what it is?" Crystal asked Frost, hands trembling with anticipation.

"No," Frost replied shortly, and Crystal believed him.

They were shown to their Launching Room, and left alone for a few minutes.

Frost gave Crystal her arena outfit.

It consisted of simple, black underwear, a camisole, a thick sweater with her district seal emblazoned across the back, a water-proof jacket, some loose, thin jeans and a pair of combat boots.

"I take it there will be rain," Crystal mused, dressing hurriedly.

"Not ordinary rain," Frost warned. "This material is unusual, but I've seen it before. It's protection against harmful fluids."

Crystal gulped. "Acid… great."

A woman's voice announced Crystal had one minute left before she was to launch.

Crystal bounded onto the launch pad. Red began to cloud her vision. She was no longer the girly, glamorous girl from District 1. She was the vicious, blood-thirsty killer doing what she'd been trained to do for years. Murder.

Frost winked as the woman began a countdown. The glass chute closed around Crystal, and she was raised into the unknown.

The first thing Crystal saw was trees.

Trees, that's good, she thought. The next thing that hit her was the smell. It smelt like humidity and running water.

Water, check.

Upon further observation, Crystal easily identified her surroundings.

It was a jungle. A rainforest, to be precise.

Her father had taught her geography from a young age, and Crystal now understood why.

She knew the jungle and its inhabitants, just by reading large books.

Crystal snapped out of her reverie and gazed around her. The Cornucopia stood tall and proud. It was a huge metal structure, flowing with delicious goods. Crystal's eyes scanned the weaponry.

There it was. A gleaming silver bow.

Mine, she thought ferociously.

A man's voice reached thirty seconds. Crystal's limbs longed to burst forward, but she knew the consequence of stepping off the platform too early.

She glanced over at Ace, who was three tributes to her right. He winked at her, his fists clenched in anticipation.

Crystal grinned back then turned her gaze back to the silver bow. She could already feel it in her hands.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one," the man's voice droned.

A gong sounded loudly.

Crystal lurched forward in a blast of speed. Her limbs pounded furiously, her eyes focused on only one thing. Her bow.

She reached it immediately and slung the quiver of arrows over her shoulder. To Crystal's delight, a gleaming machete had been placed close by. She snatched it up and whipped her head around.

Garnet reached the Cornucopia next, closely followed by Ace. They both found their favourite weapons instantly.

Crystal ducked as an axe went sailing over her head, missing by mere inches.

The girl from District 7 realized her fatal mistake. Crystal leapt after her like a bullet, grabbed a handful of stringy hair, yanked back her head and slit her savagely across the throat.

The girl spluttered and choked before sinking to her knees.

Crystal smirked and sprinted back to the Cornucopia. The boy from District 3 snatched a tiny back-pack and prepared to make off for the trees, but Crystal notched an arrow in lightning speed and shot him cleanly in the brain.

He fell immediately.

Crystal turned to hear Garnet scream with outrage as the boy from 9 pinned her. He was huge and held a spiked club above Garnet's head.

Crystal flew at him and gouged out his eyes with her machete.

Garnet quickly nodded her thanks before pouncing on the feeble girl from 5.

Crystal looked around for Harper, but unfortunately, she'd escaped.

"Ah!" Crystal screamed as someone suddenly tackled her from behind. Before Dallas could pummel her to smithereens with his axe, Ace stabbed him between his shoulder-blades.

Crystal kicked Dallas's carcass away, not bothering to check whether he was dead, and smiled at Ace.

"Thanks, babe," she giggled. Ace winked and thundered back into the Cornucopia.

All was still.

Bronze jogged over, his face glowing with satisfaction. His spear was smeared in blood.

"How many?" Crystal asked breathlessly, retrieving her arrow from the District 3 boy's head.

"Two guys," Bronze replied. "You?"

"Two guys and a girl," Crystal said proudly.

Garnet emerged from the trees, looking feral and wild. She slung down a couple of back-packs.

"I caught the urchin from 9 trying to make off with these," Garnet panted. "I soon sorted her out."

Ace laughed raucously from inside the Cornucopia.

"All the weapons are still here!" he called.

Crystal grinned. "Perfect."

Bronze counted the bodies.

The females from 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 were dead.

The males from 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 had joined them.

"Did you see me impale the guy from Seven between the eyes?" Bronze enthused, slinging a large back-pack over his shoulder. "It was awesome."

"Well, you should've seen me mutilate the cretin girl from 5," said Garnet darkly.

"Who'd you get?" Crystal asked Ace, joining him in stuffing their packs and pockets with weapons.

"The girls from Six and Eleven, and the guys from Five, Eight and Ten," Ace replied smugly, finding a rag to wipe his lethal sword.

"Impressive," Crystal approved, fixing her luscious hair. "Do I look horrendous?"

"Is it possible for you to look horrendous?" Ace countered, smirking. He sheathed his new weapon and turned to dish out orders.

"Garnet, strip every tributes of their water-proof jackets, we may require extra warmth. Bronze, search the area and get any weapons and back-packs you can find. Crystal, you help me get all these bags filled. We're taking everything."

Bronze and Garnet nodded firmly, no questions asked, and sprinted off to carry out their duties.

"Loyal subjects to King Ace," Crystal laughed melodiously, selecting a large, supple back-pack for herself and choosing supplies.

"I just have that natural dominance," Ace replied with a grin.

"Where are we heading?" Crystal asked, preparing to leave.

"Well, this is a jungle, right? We'll travel for most of the day, looking for tributes. If we come across any edible food or safe drinking water, great, but we have enough food to last us a week. When it starts to get dark, we'll find somewhere to set up camp," Ace explained.

Crystal liked the determined look Ace got when he took on the role of group leader.

"Done!" Garnet cried proudly, shoving all the jackets into a small back-pack.

"Good job," Ace praised. "Where's Bronze?"

"Right here!" Bronze called, joining the trio. "I found nothing. We've got it all."

"Good, let's get moving."

"If we find Fish Girl," Crystal snarled. "She's mine."

.

you're still reading this? thanks so much if you are! i'm really enjoying writing this story. please drop me a review, telling me what you liked or what i could improve on. the next chapter will be the cornucopia blood-bath in harper's POV.