"Final Eight," Clarisse said to Reyna.

"That would be right," Reyna said, wiping some sweat off of her eyebrow. The two girls stared at each other. Well? Reyna though. Say it if you want to. But I won't be the one to break this alliance.

But Clarisse simply frowned at her. "Okay, then."

Reyna didn't answer, staring at Clarisse, trying to intimidate the girl with her eyes. She didn't want to fight Clarisse here and now. Still, this was the Final 8. There was no room for weakness, no room for allies. She couldn't trust Clarisse in the same way ever again.

"I can see what you're thinking," Clarisse accused. Did Princess think that she was stupid? She wasn't! Final 8 was different. And Princess didn't believe in Clarisse's honor anymore. "Well?"

"What do you want me to say, District Four?"

Clarisse laughed bitterly. "That's how it is, huh?"

Clarisse thought that she caught a hint of weakness in Reyna's eyes. Hurt. Weakness. The same thing, really. The only think that would help her now was the anger that would see her through the fights. Clarisse knew that much. "Clarisse, no—"

"Don't lie to me, District 2," Clarisse said. "I thought we were allies."

"We are."

"You don't want us to be."

"Clarisse—"

"No, I get it," Clarisse said. She let herself snort. "Final Eight. Final fucking Eight."

"Clarisse—"

"If I leave now, can I trust you not to stab me in the back?" Clarisse said mockingly.

"Don't do this."

"Well? You killed my District partner. You ready to do me in?"

Reyna looked down and then up quickly, and Clarisse thought that her eyes were softer, suddenly. "No," Reyna said, letting herself pour a rare bit of emotion into her voice. She didn't want Clarisse to leave the alliance. She didn't want the Careers to be over so soon, not when they had barely had a chance to form these Games. "I want you to stay. I want us to be the finalists."

"So you can kill me?"

"That's the game, isn't it?"

The two girls regarded each other for a moment.

"Final two, then," Clarisse finally promised. "Final two."

Reyna couldn't think of something to say. Clarisse smiled, and turned. "I'll see you then," she said.

Reyna watched her go.

XXXXX

Katie.

Katie looked down the dark hallway. There was plant grown emanating from it. The idea made her want to dance. Finally, an environment where she could feel at home! Ideas came to her…traps. Luring her enemies in, ensnaring them, and…

What, killing?

No. Getting herself closer to home.

Still, that didn't change the fact that something down there had just said her name. Katie's heart raced. What do I do? What do I do?

Her instincts urged her to turn back. Still, Katie felt that she could replenish her food, water, and weapons supplies down that corridor.

Then the first thing emerged.

Katie shrieked and stumbled back. She couldn't even afford to worry about any other Tributes hearing her because holy shit that's a ghost.

It was Connor.

At least, it looked kind of like Connor. It had his build and features. It was just…there was a knife wound in his stomach. Bloody. Festering. Katie retched, glad that she didn't full-out throw up.

And his face.

His face.

It was green, pale. Decomposing, kind of. Katie briefly thought of Travis in District 11, having to see his brother like this. And then Katie did throw up. She jerked her head back up right after, feeling so vulnerable and weak without a weapon. Was he what had called her name?

Katie.

A second ghost joined him. Annabeth. She in better shape, simply because her body looked normal—is that the actual body holy shit holy shit! Her arm was completely green, and something was crawling on it. Her eyes were too wide, as if she had been trapped in a state of permanent surprise.

Katie tried to speak, but she couldn't get her mouth to move.

Katie. Katie. Katie. Katie.

More ghosts joined them. Calypso, the girl from 7 was there, a terrified expression frozen on her face. Why? Katie wondered. Then there were her parents. How did the Capitol know what they looked like? Katie. Katie. Katie.

The ghosts started to whirl around her in a frenzied dance of death. Katie's mind raced. Get out get out get out I have to get out—

But she couldn't, she couldn't because she was weaponless and so, so weak—

Katie. Katie. Katie. Katie.

"Miranda!" Katie choked out.

The ghosts slowed down, almost imperceptibly. But Katie saw her chance. She cast herself at the hole between the two of them, rolling for all she was worth, pushing herself up, running—

Katie. Katie. Katie.

"Shut up!" she hollered, breathless. "Leave me alone!"

She rounded a bend and the voices stopped.

Katie didn't stop running for a long time. Too terrified.

XXXXX

Hazel wanted to kiss Frank again. Shut up, she told herself. The whole world's watching.

"You okay?" Frank asked her.

"Yeah," Hazel said, a little too quickly. "You?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking…we made it farther than anyone thought we would."

"Final Eight. They interviewed our families."

A beat, and then Frank laughed. "Wow! I didn't even think about that. What do you think Grandmother said?"

"I was thinking more about my mother."

"Oh." Frank squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm sure that she said something good."

"She was probably all drugged up."

"No. She loves you, Hazel."

"She has a funny way of showing it."

Frank kissed her. Hazel found herself kissing back. After a few moments, they pulled apart, breathless. "I love you. And that's how I show it."

Blood rushed to Hazel's face, but she loved it, she loved it. "I l-love you too, Frank," she stumbled out. "But…these are the Hunger Games."

"They've always been the Hunger Games. We've just been too stupid to face it."

"One of us is going to die."

It's going to be me, Hazel promised herself. You're going home, Frank. I promise.

You're going home, Hazel, Frank thought. I swear.

XXXXX

"This is in no way crazy," Will said.

"Shut your snarky mouth," Nico ordered.

"No, thank you," Will said. For some reason, he forgot to feel afraid of Nico's response for a few moments. No! He needed to stay on edge. There were only 8 left in the Arena. From now on, everyone was an enemy. If they came across anyone else, there would be no letting them walk. A fight was inevitable.

And yet, somehow, I had become we. Will couldn't imagine fighting Nico. It had only been seven days, right?

I need to get my priorities straight.

Will eyed his partner.

Priorities.

Yeah.

Nico was aware of Will watching him and wondered when their alliance would splinter. With the arrival of the Final 8, things had become that much more complicated. Now there was just the hardscrabble scramble for survival. No friends.

Friends?!

No. They were not friends. Just allies.

Just allies.

Fuck…Nico thought. Zoe. I need to find Zoe.

Then it'll all be over. Finally.

XXXXX

Britomartis. Celyn. Nymph. Bianca. Sipriotes. Tarren. Callie. Didi.

Zoe repeated the names, over and over, trying to find something that she could hold on to. Something to motivate her to get home. The members of her gang that were still alive…they were worth fighting for. Sipriotes planned on volunteering next year, of course, and Callie after her. They would save lives of the unprepared and still-loved in District 12.

But all that Zoe seemed able to remember were the dead.

Britomartis. Celyn. Bianca. Nymph. All of them had volunteered because they had planned it out together. They had made a pact. All of them would not have died in the Games if Zoe had not brought them together.

They might still be dead, Zoe reminded herself. District 12 is not an easy place to survive.

Still, that was all a maybe. Who was to say that they did not have people who loved them? Britomartis's boyfriend might have still cared about her. So had Celyn's estranged father. But all of those were simply men, the ones that only wanted to drag them down and break them. Zoe had shown them the true path.

Bianca di Angelo had a brother, Zoe remembered. Nico.

Nico was out there somewhere.

Zoe had to find him. She had to protect him. For Bianca. For all of the ones that she could not save. District 12 was due a Victor. He was deserving.

Despite the fact that he was a man.

He, and only he, deserved to make it home.

Alright, he didn't deserve it. No one in the Arena was deserving. Not Reyna and Clarisse, the Volunteers. Not her, the other Volunteer who let Britomartis and Celyn and Nymph and Bianca die. Not Katie, the deserter. And the ideas of all of the other men winning were laughable.

But Nico.

Zoe had to put her faith in Nico.

If not, where would it lie?

XXXXX

Frank hated the Gamemakers.

"Run!" he hissed at Hazel, dragging her backwards, but it was too late. The Career from 4, the one with the red stringy hair, advanced on them, spear drawn. She drew her arm back and threw it.

Frank would have been skewered if Hazel hadn't pushed him out of the way. "Go!" Hazel shouted. "Run!"

"Cowards," the Career said. "You're cowards. Fight me!"

"You're the coward!" Frank shouted back. "You've got the advantage. You're trained! You wouldn't face us if we were as good as you!"
"Whatever you wanna tell yourself, punk."

Shit. The Career advanced on him. "No!" Hazel shouted.

I have the shield, Frank remembered, drawing it.

Just in time, as the spear smashed into it. The force sent a shock up Frank's arm, and Frank knew that he would have a bruise there later. Hazel ran at the Career, punching her hard in the back. Again and again, Hazel pummeled her. But then the Career turned, grabbed Hazel's wrists, and smashed her against the wall. Hazel screamed.

Frank pulled the same stunt and ran at the Career, Clare or something, but he had a shield. And that made all of the difference. 4 made an 'umph' noise as Frank hit her, and dropped Hazel. Hazel didn't waste time moving out of the way, going for the spear and standing behind the shield with Frank.

The Career cursed and drew a sword. Frank's eyes widened. Just how many weapons did this girl have, anyway?

Hazel jabbed at her with the spear, but 4 batted it aside, looking like it was just a vague annoyance. She stabbed at Frank, who ducked behind the shield. Hazel and Frank moved to opposite sides of her, Frank taking the brunt of the attacks while Hazel stabbed with the spear. But 4 was fast. She turned and punched Hazel in the face.

Hazel went down.

"Hazel!" Frank screamed desperately, needing to know if she was dead or alive, but then—

The boy from 10 really shouldn't have left his neck uncovered. It was almost too easy to slit his throat with her sword and Clarisse wondered if it had been this easy for Reyna and Percy. She almost wanted Princess with her now, not as an ally or anything, but just to prove that she was strong. She was a winner.

Clarisse wondered if her father was watching.

And then there was just pain. Clarisse looked down in anger and vague astonishment as a spear exited her stomach.

Hazel stood behind Clarisse, having stabbed her all the way through. "That's for Frank," she hissed, tears leaving her eyes. "You killed him. You killed him!"

Clarisse collapsed to the floor, and two cannons fired. Hazel collapsed too, sobbing. "He's dead. He's dead! You killed him!"

Frank is dead.

Tributes:

D2: Reyna Ramirez-Arellano
D9: Will Solace
D10: Hazel Levesque
D11: Katie Gardner
D12: Nico di Angelo; Zoe Nightshade

FRANK: Frank didn't have a lot of time to blossom in this story. He has never been one of the most talkative or attention-grabbing characters, and that was a problem when we get to the Final 8. However, I think that a few things about him were showcased: how much he cared about Hazel, and just how nice he was generally. Him killing Grover was one of my favorite moments. Again, this isn't a canon where a guy like him can succeed. In addition, he wouldn't have wanted to go home without Hazel. RIP.

CLARISSE: Clarisse, on the other hand, did get a lot of screentime, simply because she was one of the Careers. I feel like she did get time to grow as a character, and I loved writing her relationship with Reyna. If I could, I would have kept her around for much longer. Her Ares heritage in the PJO canon makes her a perfect character for this. She's a strong killer, but she also has a lot of humanity that can't come out during an experience like this. I'm sorry that she won't be going home to Chris. RIP.