AUTHOR'S NOTES: Up until just recently, I was caught up in a rather nasty real-life funk that kind of kept me from writing for whatever reasons, mental or otherwise. Either way, the 20th installment is now up and running, and I apologize for the lengthy delay. The Hunger Games must go on, after all.
Happy Reading!

CHAPTER 20: Karmic Retribution

Just when he thought he could calm himself over the notion, the anthem played that evening to rub salt in his wounds.

Lucia Alzar, District 5…

Cadence seethed at the injustice of seeing that face up there, and the next face gave him a mixture of vindication and anger.

Fox Morrowson, District 9…

While Cadence had originally intended to go on the warpath, his blind rage soon subsided into a state of denial and depression. Lucia was gone. Despite his vicious and valiant efforts, he was unable to save her from a miserable death inside a sadistic arena. He kept his wits about him as he wandered the arena, though he stuck to the quieter and more secluded parts where he doubted anyone would find him. Eventually he came to an area where he could practically hear his own heartbeat, and settled down for the time being to help sort out his thoughts.

He decided to hole himself up in this part of the arena for the time being, and so got to work constructing an elaborate labyrinth of traps to keep himself in and others out. He had a very meticulous entry and exit method; for food and water would not supply themselves. Otherwise, he decided to wait it out here. He figured if no one killed anyone else over the next couple of days, that he'd at least be protected from most hazards the Gamemakers had to offer—unless of course they went exclusively after him or something. He remembered the rumors that surrounded Sacajawea Kwan, the District 12 girl from last year's games. While the Capitol obviously did not come out and blatantly admit that they had rigged the games against her, most people, including the victor (despite said victor being from District 2) knew that the 93rd Annual Hunger Games had in fact been rigged against this woman.

Cadence briefly wondered if Sudi knew anything about that. It wasn't like he could ask her, although he figured that their truce was probably at least temporarily still on.

Incidentally, her thoughts, as well as those of her District 11 allies, were on Cadence as well. They were aware of the relationship he and Lucia had had, and aft3er he had gone quiet, they wondered what had become of him.

"So what do you think of all this, Sudi?" Kilon asked the District 12 girl, "There are 7 of us left, we still match the careers in terms of numbers. District 12 is on the path to resurgence if '84 and '91 are anything to go by… and then of course there's the whole scandal with Sacajawea last year."

"Why do you think I refuse to die," Sudi quipped, "it was bad enough that they got Mani in the bloodbath, but even then I'm still not done causing a bit of mayhem for our career-minded friends."

While she was not about to give some rousing speech, Sudi had gotten the full attention of Kilon and Xandra, whose eyes were now on her.

"What?" she chuckled, "don't look at me like I'm about to stand and give some sort of revolutionary, moving speech. I'm just speaking my mind, and right now, harassing the careers and ruining their days is what's mostly on my mind. Now if only I could trick a few more of them into going the same way Faren did. I wonder if I can make a few more grenades…"

"It's not like District 11 is doing too bad either, you know…" Sudi added as she rose to her feet to start hunting down some components. "and frankly, if I die, I hope that those back home in my district root for the two of you. Cadence is a decent kid, but '5 is kind of too goody-goody with the Capitol for my tastes. Still… I'd much rather take him as a victor over any of the other careers."
"A rebel to the end then…" Kilon smirked approvingly. "I like it."

"It's what we do in District 12," Sudi smirked, "there hasn't been a loyalist in '12 that wasn't a Peacekeeper in over a quarter century. It's amazing that the Capitol hasn't razed us to the ground yet."

"Then maybe you shouldn't talk so loud," Kilon teased.

"Right-o," Sudi cooed, "anyways, I was serious about getting those grenade components, so you two stay safe while I'm gone, alright?"
"implying we can't defend ourselves…" Xandra clutched her battleaxe and chuckled.

"Me? I would never…" Sudi put a hand to her chest jokingly. They chuckled as Sudi disappeared, while Kilon and Xandra kept watch and kept their weapons close.

What they did not know, however, was that Robin was coming for them. Originally he was looking for Cadence to avenge the death of his partner Fox, but instead he happened upon the District 11 pair, who by this point had let their guard down just a little as Sudi returned with her components as well as a fresh kill from a hunt.

What Robin did not realize, however, was that he had been duped. Nazir and Serendipity had convinced him to go on this hunt, but he had not realized that the District 1 girl had followed him—not to stab him in the back, but to frame him.

She watched from her own vantage point as Robin drew his bow to take aim at Xandra, who he perceived as the larger threat. Serendipity launched her arrow before he could, however, and hers rang true as it struck Kilon fatally in the chest. The sound of the arrow whizzing right past his head, coupled with the cannon that blared a moment later made Robin jump, which rustled the bushes and alerted Xandra and Sudi to his location immediately. Xandra had barely risen to her feet with her axe in hand when Sudi had whipped out her bow and slugged Robin right between the eyes with a well-placed arrow. A second cannon fired, and in the mayhem, Serendipity managed to sneak away from the scene completely unnoticed.

"Well shit…" Xandra growled as the hovercrafts came to collect Robin and Kilon. "This is the first since '86 that District 9 has made a name for themselves, and suddenly we're faced with formidable tributes. I wonder what was different this time?"
"Your guess is as good as mine…" Sudi shrugged, "But we need to be more vigilant if we're getting ambushed by '9 of all places. I think the only thing more embarrassing than that at this point would have been District 10."
"They've been bloodbath fodder for decades though," Xandra shook her head, "each year I've been alive, at least. I see your point."

"Either way, we need to get moving." Sudi suggested, "Let's see if we can find a trail and see where Robin moved in from. Otherwise Nazir and Serendipity are just going to come and get us."

Cadence was startled out of his nap when the two cannons went off so close to one another. He first assumed that there was an altercation where one tribute was killed and then avenged, but then also thought that maybe it was a raid and that two tributes from the same alliance had died. There would be no way of telling until that evening when their faces showed in the sky.

He realized at this point that with Lucia gone he was the only one not in an alliance. Sudi was with the District 11 pair, and while the careers were now bereft of Fox and Gabriela, they still had Serendipity, Nazir, and Robin. No matter who had died, both alliances still had at least one member alive.

Cadence was fortunate enough to not run into anyone for the rest of the afternoon, and that evening he paid close attention to the sky when the anthem started playing.

Robin Destry, District 9…

Cadence smirked, feeling vindicated that the partner of Lucia's killer had finally been done in. He wondered who had gotten him, but knew that the only way he could find out was if the killer stepped forward and told him, or if he won the games and managed to view the recaps.

Kilon Sotega, District 11…

Cadence frowned at this one. He hadn't exactly known Kilon too well or been friends with him the way Sudi and Xandra were, but he had hat least been nice enough to agree to a truce with him and Lucia while the careers were still a threat. It was times like that which made Cadence realize how truly on his own he was. Lucia had not been a threat to anyone, nor had she wanted to be.

Another thing that crossed his mind was Sudi. Most partnerships (in this game at least) had died within a few days of each other. On the other hand, it was 11 days in and Sudi was still alive, while her partner Mani had been killed in the bloodbath. He wondered if that had just been bad luck on Mani's end, or if he had been an unskilled tribute all in all. All of the other tributes had died fairly close to one another. Even Faren's death was only a few days ago, and Lucia's was only two days prior.

Naturally, every time he thought of Lucia he thought of the injustice of everything the games had done to her, even down to her reaping itself. He had to win—he had to win it for her. And to do that, it meant that all of the others: Nazir, Serendipity, and even Xandra and Sudi—all had to die.