A/N: FYI - some more graphic content in this chapter. This is Hunger Games finale after all. Consider yourselves warned!
Guest, Leni, Clatofan, Lies of a Silver Tongue - I'm only updating so fast because of your reviews, thank you SO very much! I dedicate this chapter to you guys! :)
Chapter 19: "Doomed"
"Who's in your shadows?
Who's ready to play?
Are we the hunters?
Or are we the prey?
There's no surrender
And there's no escape
Are we the hunters?
Or are we the prey?"
~ Ruelle 'Game of Survival'
"All right, I need you all to line up," their leading trainer, Rufus, announced one morning when everyone had already gathered in the gym. "Girls to my left, boys to my right,"
Clove followed his order and found herself facing the back of Sasha's, her amazingly annoying roommate. She looked to the side and her eyes connected with Cato's who was also in line with all the other guys. He sent a smirk her way and mouthed a 'good luck'. She allowed herself to smirk back at him but shook her head at his silent comment. She didn't need luck.
"Ok, Brita and Ida, come on forward," the trainer pointed at the first two girls in line to hop up onto the ring. "And... Thorn and Boris. You're up," he nodded toward two boys behind Cato. "Traditional hand-to-hand combat, folks. You know the rules. The one who loses gets off the ring. The winner stays for as long as he or she continues to win. Go,"
Cato crossed his arms over his chest with a heavy sigh. He was so tired, he really did not feel up to this stupid competition. He and Clove had once again stayed up all night almost, training and pushing each other more and more until they both almost passed out on their way to their dorms. Throwing a quick look her way, he noticed that she too looked more tired than normal, but he reckoned that they had managed to get used to sleeping three hours a day.
Today was all about the trainers marking their efforts, making notes on their skills and abilities so that they knew who to best recommend for the next Hunger Games. He watched the first two begin their combat and almost rolled his eyes at how boring it already was. He turned to look at Clove again and chuckled under his breath once he realized she now had her eyes closed, probably close to falling asleep for real.
"Ok, that was decent," Rufus commented. "Thorn, stay where you are. Cato, come forward,"
He let out an almost exasperated sigh and made his way to the boxing ring, swiftly hopping onto the platform and bending to squeeze in between the ropes. He stopped right in front of Thorn who sent him a dark smile. "You look tired, Hawks,"
"And you look defeatable," Cato bit back, making the smile on Thorn's face fade away quicker than it had appeared. They waited for the command and before long, they were in each other's faces, battling roughly and actually managing to make it interesting enough for the rest to watch. It soon turned out that Thorn was indeed every bit as defeatable as Cato had predicted.
"That was quick," Rufus said, eyebrows raised and all. "Good work, Hawks," he praised him, marking something down on his paper.
"Thank you," Cato responded with a nod and waited for the next opponent to be called. To his right, Clove was making her way to the other boxing ring, her insufferable roommate (the one with blonde hair) already expecting her with fists clenched tight. He snorted to himself. Too bad he had to fight someone while this was about to go down; he would have loved to see Clove kick the other girl's ass.
"Silas, off you go," Rufus said and a dark-haired boy stepped forward. He had an evil glint in his eyes that Cato found amusing. Hadn't he seen what just happened to his predecessor? "Begin,"
And so they did. To Cato, it was almost like the same dance over and over again. He even got to throw a few quick glances at Clove's fight in between the pathetic punches Silas tried to reach him with. He almost let out a laugh when the boy almost tripped after one of his failed attempts to hit him.
"Okay," Rufus drawled, sounding almost as bored as Cato was. "Next,"
Clove won against the blonde, of course, and was now fighting someone else and he was mesmerized by how quick her body was moving and how little her opponents' hits affected her. It was like it was a dance for her, too. One that she knew by heart. And he could relate because all those kids made the exact same mistakes. They all moved just a tiny bit too slow.
"Calvin!" Rufus yelled. "What are you waiting for?"
A quite big guy hopped onto the platform and Cato smiled because at least this one looked like he would be a bit more difficult to overcome. And though at first, it seemed like he was right, after a few minutes Cato got bored again and brought the guy to the ground, holding him in a chokehold until Rufus announced him the winner once more. All those hours training with Clove were really paying off.
"That's just," Rufus paused, probably wondering what choice of insult to go with, but then he just shook his head and dismissed Calvin. "Clove, let's give you a break over there! You need a challenge, come over here,"
She stood up proudly, letting go of her latest victim and quickly stepped off the boxing ring. Cato watched her come closer with amusement painted all over his face. He was glad enough he was the one to fight her, because first of all, such battles could get bloody, and secondly - she was anything but predictable. He spent so much time with this girl and yet she always, somehow, managed to present a challenge.
"Hawks!"
He shook his head at the sound of his trainer's peeved voice. "Yes?"
"Are you gonna stare other tributes in the Arena to death, too? Get on with it,"
Cato scowled but stepped towards Clove anyway who herself looked quite irritated with his behavior. So he glared at her like he meant it and threw the first punch which she naturally dodged with ease. He knew there was only so much straying he can afford before it gets too suspicious so next time his fist hit her hard enough to make her gasp. He didn't stop there and tried to throw her to the ground. She managed to push him back by elbowing him in his ribs before kicking him in the shin. He yelped but managed not to lose balance. She took a few steps back, her little fists raised and waiting to do more damage.
He had to win this. He couldn't afford to let everyone think that three guys from his class had failed to defeat him and a 15-year-old, 100 pound girl did so with ease. They would realize something was not right.
"What's wrong, Hawks?" Clove snickered. "Tired?"
"Not more than you," he snapped back at her, but he knew she caught on his subtle hint and noticed the amused look in his eyes. He was in fact very tired by that point and he almost felt like forfeiting, because he really was not enjoying hitting her. When they trained alone, they never went easy on each other, but Cato was always rather careful as to not hurt her. He was well aware how strong she was, but still, her body was petite and he often worried that he could break a bone if he was too careless.
As small as her fists were, she knew all the weak spots and it seemed like every time they fought she was able to find a new way to somehow gain the upper hand every now and then. It was incredible and terrifying - she was too good. Possibly, Arena good.
Five minutes into their battle, which was the longest one yet and Cato would not be able to deny she deserved every minute fair and square, he finally managed to get her on the ground and win.
"Nice job, you two," Rufus said. "Remember never to underestimate your opponent based on their size. Good work, Clove,"
As they both were dismissed, Cato began following Clove when he sensed people's eyes on him. He looked over his shoulder, but to his surprise, everyone seemed very much occupied with those who were currently fighting.
"You look like crap," Clove told him when they walked out of the gym.
"Gee, thanks, you're so sweet," he growled sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"I don't do sweet, so why so shocked?" she responded with a shrug, her face as serious as ever. "If you want sweet, go find my stupid roommate. She may have lasted more than one minute had she been watching my fists and not you,"
Cato smirked, despite himself, because if things were the way he would want them, this would mean that Clove was jealous. He knew better, though. He knew she wasn't. "Well then your victory partly belongs to me," he snickered when she glared at him.
"You wish,"
The sound of her voice was what he secretly lived for.
Cannon.
With the sound of it, all of their hope seemed to have evaporated. All the hope they had for their plan, for how they wanted to survive until their fate was completely out of their control. All of that was gone. With just one sound, Cato realized their plan didn't matter. And the voices of other Careers closing on them, getting louder and louder, were just yet another confirmation of how badly everything had failed.
"Damn it!" Cato cussed, looking around, lost and confused.
"Now what?" Rue gasped, looking behind her to see whether the people that had been hunting them were already close enough. "Cato, what do we do!?"
"It's a set-up," he whispered to himself, loud enough for Rue to catch it. "We're being set up. They know,"
Rue stared at him, wide-eyed, realizing what that meant. Some of them were in that field where their trap had been set. Some of the Careers were there and they had killed one of them. Their plan was no more. Cato gazed down at Rue, almost out of breath.
Screw the Capitol. He thought and he never meant that more than now. The Game Makers must have informed them about their plan and they had no chance with it, to begin with. Not only had they been given guns, they were being informed about their every step. He and his allies had been doomed all this time.
"Damn you," Cato cussed, putting his hand on the back of his head in distress, before looking down at Rue once more. Tiny, little Rue who was now slightly trembling with fear, looking absolutely hopeless. He let out a heavy breath before squatting, thinking intensively about how to play this game. Rage filled his insides along with white hot hatred towards the Capitol and his former Acadamy colleagues. They had no idea who they were messing with. But he was going to make sure they knew before he takes his last breath, "Listen to me," he said to Rue, grabbing her shoulders. "I need you to go hide right now. Do not come out no matter what. Do you hear me, Rue?"
"What about you? What are you gonna do?" she cried out, shaking her head.
"I need to find Clove," he told her, hoping she'd understand. After all, he had admitted that he would choose Clove and Rue knew that. But as he looked at her shaking little body and eyes filled with hot tears, he almost felt bad for leaving her behind like that. "You said you trust me, right?"
She swallowed hard before nodding her head shakily. "I do,"
"I'll come back," he vowed, giving her arms a gentle squeeze. "I need to find her. I need to make sure that cannon wasn't hers,"
"I know," she choked out. Cato heard the voices of their opponents much closer now so he took a knife out and put it into Rue's trembling hand. She glanced down at it in horror before looking him in the eyes.
"Self-defense will not make you a murderer, Rue. So if you have to," he told her sternly, quickly picking up on her hesitation. "use it."
She tightened her grip on the knife and nodded, now more confidently. "Ok, go," he said, pushing her towards the building in front of them. "Go now,"
Rue ran off and he watched her disappear inside, knowing very well this could be the last time he sees her. He hoped to lure the Careers' attention away from the kid long enough to be able to find Clove, as impossible as it sounded. Leaving Rue behind in hiding was the only thing he felt he could have done. Their plan had failed before it even started. He had to get to Clove. And Rue would just be in his way and she'd most likely get killed in the process. He had no choice.
Standing up on his feet, he ran down the dusty street back where they came from. As soon as he saw the tree line on the horizon, he was forced to stop and take a step back. Because coming from behind the building, right in front of him, there were four Careers he wished he hadn't recognized. Three guys and a girl, blocking his way to the forest. Blocking his way to Clove.
All four of them big and strong, hydrated and well-fed, with guns and swords shining in the sunlight. All four of them deadly, looking at their prey.
He felt sweat rolling off of his forehead and into his eyes and he no longer knew who he hated more. Them or the Capitol for making them who they had become. For making them monsters he once used to be.
"Well, well," a hateful voice reached his ears. "Where are your allies now?"
"Ok, there are some bushes here, we should be able to hide well enough and still get a good shot," Clove told Katniss who nodded and got her bow ready while following her toward the edge of the cliff just to check everything out. Clove double checked her gun, as well, making sure its loaded and the safety is on. She let out a heavy breath and glanced at Katniss. "Think it'll take much longer?"
"It took us quite a bit to get up on this hill, they should be coming soon," Katniss said, narrowing her eyes at the open field which had a few explosives hidden and ready to blow up their unwanted companions in the arena. She would not admit it, but she was quite impressed with Cato's idea to take advantage of district 3's knowledge and use Capitol's weapon against the people they had sent to kill them. Seemed like their plan was working, either way - Capitol citizens were definitely enjoying themselves. All the action and suspense must be so thrilling; it almost made her sick.
"You remember the exact pattern of our traps, right?" Clove asked to make sure and the brunette nodded firmly.
"Yes, don't worry, I won't set them off, unintentionally anyway. Unless we miss," she said, staring Clove right in the eyes. "But we don't miss, do we?" she added with a smile, making her Career ally smirk back at her.
"No, we do not," Clove confirmed, realizing she no longer tried to push away the fact that she actually liked that girl. No longer did she try to convince herself that they would not make great training partners if someone allowed them that chance. But she knew that was just wishful thinking. One of them was going to end up dead. And Clove almost shuddered at the thought, but it was not the possibility of her own death that had her feeling so scared. No. It was the fact that she found herself actually caring about what was going to happen to Katniss and Rue. And Cato...
"Clove!" Katniss whisper-yelled all of a sudden, snapping her out of her thoughts. She frowned, then followed Fire Girl's eyes to the field where they saw two people, staring straight up at them.
"Oh shit," Clove cussed because she recognized one of them. Raff. The boy from 3 was down there, held in a chokehold by a girl dressed in District 2 training outfit. Katniss did not hesitate. She reached for an arrow and before long she had it flying toward the couple. But before the arrow could reach its target, before it killed the girl from 2, Raff's cannon echoed in the arena.
"No," Katniss gasped as she watched the two fall to the ground limply, her heart beating fast in her chest. It was as if they were frozen in that moment, the sound of one more cannon painfully numbing their ears and gradually fading into the silence that followed.
"We have to get out of here," Clove was the first one to come back to her senses, embracing what had just happened and what it meant. Katniss glanced at her with a fast moving chest and teary eyes. "Let's go!"
But as they turned around, they saw five girls standing there, two rifles pointed at them and they all looked so pleased with themselves. So bloody satisfied at having caught them so off guard.
"Did you think your failure of a plan would actually work?" the blonde-haired girl in the middle sneered at them, hands on hips and a nasty smirk plastered to her face. And Clove almost vomited right then and there, because right in front of her - there was Sasha. Her beloved roommate. The person she hated with a passion and that feeling was clearly mutual. "Drop your weapons," Sasha snapped with a dark glare. "Now,"
Clove sensed Katniss' eyes on her so she glanced at her and nodded. Fire Girl bent to put her bow and arrows on the ground and Clove threw aside her gun. Because there was no other choice if they wanted to live. But little did Sasha know, Clove already knew a way out. A dangerous one and one that could also get them killed - but at least they'd die trying. Because Clove was so not about to be executed. This was not how she would go down.
"Silly girl you are," Sasha taunted and her friends laughed along. Clove recognized every single girl because they were all her roommates. Game Makers must have known much more about her life from before the arena than she thought. They knew who to send; who would have the most fun killing her. "I always knew you were no good for a tribute and that you would never make it out of here. I always knew you would shame our district,"
"I guess you and I go by different definitions of what shaming is," Clove tried to drag the conversation on while analyzing the situation. Sasha laughed humorlessly.
"Clearly," she snickered. "You go by District 11 and 12's definitions now, right? Just like that guy who was stupid enough to want to die for you. What was his name again? Thresh?"
His name sent a painful shock down her body and before she knew it, she was lunging forward, longing to hurt Sasha in as many ways as she could think of.
"Clove, no!" Katniss cried, grabbing a hold of her arms and pulling her back. Sasha just stared at the scene in front of her with sick amusement.
"I'm gonna cut you up!" Clove yelled, struggling to get free from her ally's grip, but not as hard as she knew she could. "Just say one more word, I dare you!"
"Well aren't these the most entertaining Hunger Games you've ever seen?" a girl with dark brown hair, who stood right beside Sasha, threw a rhetorical question with a laugh. "I can't wait to see what they're going to cook up next year!"
At once, Clove stopped struggling. Her eyes widened and silence filled the air between them. Her former roommates just stared as if someone had pressed the 'pause' button, awaiting her next move. Another minute had passed before she broke into an almost uncontrollable fit of laughter. It wasn't dark. It wasn't evil. Clove did not remember laughing so sincerely before in her life. Katniss let go of her, half-shocked, half-concerned, probably wondering had she gone mental.
"What the-"
But Clove carried on laughing so hard she had to support herself with hands on her thighs. Sasha and the other Careers gaped at her, all wide-eyed, completely baffled. This went on for another short while before Clove stood up straight again, tears in her eyes as more chuckles continued to slip through her lips.
"God," she choked out finally, rubbing at her eyes, her shoulders shaking slightly from her state of amusement. "How easy is it to make people believe shit and have them do whatever the hell you please with their lives?" she laughed again. "I know you're confused. I used to be, too. But not anymore," she glanced at Katniss who she knew was following. She was the only one that did not need a further explanation. "Maybe you're right," Clove admitted, staring at her enemies again. "I'm not getting out of here. But let me enlighten you with one little detail," she paused, a smile still present and alive on her face. "Neither are any of you,"
Sasha narrowed her eyes angrily, but said nothing, apparently waiting for more revelations.
"This hate of yours has led you so far there is no turning back now. Just look at what happened with Nigel," Clove said, remembering the only kind kid from the Academy she knew. Of course, back then, she didn't care much for kindness. Still, he was always easy to talk to. He was the only one who had managed to keep some positivity within him. He was also the one who would have shot her in the arena had Cato not made it back to her in time to stop him. "Look at what they made him do, what they made him become. I may be dead already. But not more than all of you. Guess we always have been, right? Didn't know that until now," she laughed once more, without humor this time. She didn't have to look to know Sasha's companions were sending each other anxious looks as they considered the possibility that she was in fact right. Which she was. There was no way Capitol would allow more than one person to survive the Games. And it didn't really matter that they had not been reaped for tributes originally. None of them was going to get out.
"You with me yet?" Clove tilted her head to she side mockingly. "Is anyone following?"
"Keep running that mouth of yours and I'll have you watch the rest of your pitiful allies die right before your eyes," Sasha threatened, very visibly irritated and yet trying to show the rest that she was still in control. She wasn't. She never had any control. This was the Game Maker's favorite illusion to shove down their throats, especially when it came to Careers - to try and make them believe they were in charge to some extent when they were literally in the exact same position as the rest of the tributes.
"I'll leave your boyfriend for dessert, too," Sasha added, just for good measure, certain it would make the other girl lunge for her again. But Clove just smirked.
"You wouldn't be able to overcome Cato if he was tied up and blindfolded. Don't flatter yourself, Blondie,"
Clove could almost see how angry Sasha was becoming, but she needed to distract them long enough to somehow silently communicate with Katniss. And that did it.
"Did you hear that?" Sasha exclaimed with a fake laugh following. "She actually thinks they're both invincible!"
The rest of the girls sent each other pitiful looks and smirks and that's when Clove glanced at Katniss. "Follow my lead," she whispered as quietly as she could as the rest continued mocking her words loudly. The brunette furrowed her eyebrows but nodded nonetheless. Clove dragged her eyes to the edge of the cliff they were nearby and then back to Katniss, hoping she'd catch the hint. Katniss gaped at her with her lips slightly parted, breathing heavily.
"Okay, this has been fun," Sasha brought everyone's attention back to the pair. "But we're a bit tight on schedule, so let's proceed, shall we?" she jeered, showing off the shiny dagger she had just pulled out from behind the belt. "There's one other old pal of mine I'm dying to catch up with," she added and Clove's blood went cold. The image of Cato getting outnumbered by a bunch of weaklings with guns made her nauseous. "Let's give the audience a great show,"
The next few minutes happened as if the Game Makers switched the arena to the slow motion mode. Clove jumped Katniss as soon as Sasha decided to take her first step toward them in order to fulfill whatever sick plan she had in mind. Katniss gasped when the other girl's body collided with hers and sent them both falling back and over the edge of the hill. Clove shrieked as she carried on rolling down the hill, hitting everything on her way, from bumps and smaller bushes to bigger rocks. She heard Katniss' moans of pain somewhere to her right and next, all she heard was gun shots.
As they finally made it to the bottom of the hill, she jumped to her feet. "Run a zig zag, watch the traps!" Clove gasped with a quick glance at Katniss who was getting herself off the ground. "Come on!"
They ran between the explosives they had set themselves for the people that were now trying to shoot them from the top of the hill. Clove never looked back. She tried to keep as far away from Katniss without losing her. If they stayed too close, it was far more likely the gun shots would set off one of the traps and hurt them both at once. Her legs began tangling together and she tripped at one point but was quick to get herself up and continue to run for her life. She ran a zig zag just like that time she had come to Katniss' aid when Amos was the one shooting at them. They made it then. They were going to make it now.
The sound of explosion cut her thoughts short and she looked over her shoulder, noticing Fire Girl on the ground. She heard some triumphant yells from above and quickly put the two together. The gun shots had stopped.
"Katniss!" she yelled, turning around and running back to where the other girl had fallen. Clove went down on her knees and noticed with horror in her eyes blood spilling from Katniss' torn jacket on her abdomen. "No," she whispered, breathing quickly and staring at her dying ally with wide eyes. "Wait, hold on, I'll get you up,"
Katniss cried out in her half-sitting position as she realized just how badly she was injured. In complete shock, she glanced up at Clove and shook her head, her face whitening with every passing second. "Go," she choked out. "Get out of here,"
Clove was about to argue when she looked over Katniss' head; her former roommates were already halfway down the hill, laughing and yelling in excitement. Eager to reach them and torment them.
"Go find them!" Fire Girl gasped, gritting her teeth in pain. "NOW!"
Clove let out another couple of heavy, shaky breaths before reaching inside her jacket's pocket and pulling out the grenade she had taken from Amos that day she had managed to save District 12's life. The way she was not able to save this time. "I'm sorry," she whispered, handing it to her. Katniss took it with a trembling hand, tears spilling from her eyes faster than the blood escaping her body. She put it against her chest as if it was meant to save her, not kill her more quickly.
"Thank you," she gasped before coughing up some blood. The voices of their predators were much closer now.
Clove put her small hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezed it, giving her one last sad smile that was supposed to mean everything Clove thought she might have needed being seconds away from certain death. Katniss tried smiling back, but it came off as more of a grimace before nodding firmly, trying to show her ally that she was ready. That she had accepted her fate. That she should just leave her behind no matter how much she may have wanted to stay.
"Thank you," Clove said and the sincerity of her own words shocked them both. Because if Clove was sure of anything at all, it was that Katniss knew exactly what she was thanking her for.
"Good luck," Katniss whispered as a goodbye, watching Clove give her one last tearful look before she was on her feet again, storming away as fast as her legs could carry her. She watched her go, the pain almost overwhelming her senses. But she would not give up. No. She would make them pay.
She pulled the pin with a very shaking hand and waited for the Careers to make it close enough so she could personally make sure none of them would get to live another day. If the rest of her allies could not survive the Games together, then they sure did not deserve to live another minute. It was because of them she would never get to see her sister again. Because of them her family was about to witness her end. Her mother. Gale.
"I love you, Prim," she whispered, squeezing some more tears from her eyes and closing them. The faces of her loved ones stuck in her head, delivering some much needed comfort. "I'm sorry,"
With the sound of an explosion, the ecstatic voices of the Careers died down while Katniss Everdeen's cannon echoed in the arena.
"Well, well... Where are your allies now?"
Cato saw a rifle pointed right at him, but he knew they had just been taught how to shoot. The Game Makers had expected for him and Clove to turn on their allies when the rule was revoked and when they didn't, they came up with this new plan which meant his fellow Careers knew as much about guns as he did. Which was not much. They were still quite far away from him so he knew he had a good chance of running off without being hit. But they seemed over-confident that he was already dead. That he had no way out.
They couldn't be more wrong.
"Don't fight this, Hawks," a guy whose name was Thorn, as far as Cato remembered, called to him with a nasty smirk on his face. "You know better, don't you? You know we're just as strong as you are. Just as fast. Just as ruthless." he said, twirling a sword in his hand. "Oh wait... scratch that last one,"
They all laughed at him and surprisingly, he didn't have to try hard to keep his cool for once. He knew that in order to get out of this so he could go find Clove was to stay focused. Still, it didn't mean he couldn't screw with them in return. So with the best murderous smirk he could afford, he glared at them: "You are," he growled, squeezing the handle of his own sword. "But are you even one tenth as pissed off as I am?"
Thorn's evil smile crept off of his face as he threw Cato a hateful look. "You had your chance and you blew it," he barked. "This is what you get when you become disgrace to District 2,"
Shots from the rifle were released before Cato had the chance to respond. But his reaction was quicker than his attackers could have predicted. And as Cato had earlier expected, the guy's shooting skills were poor. He swiftly got away from the striking distance and hid behind the nearest building to his right. The shots continued for another few seconds before they stopped and Thorn's voice echoed down the street again;
"Come on, Cato! Really?!" he yelled, slightly irritated. "You gonna try and hide from us now? Like that little girl from 11? You've just lost the last bits of respect in my eyes, man!"
The mention of Rue made Cato ball up his fists in rage as he panted heavily. He didn't have time for this. He needed to find Clove. He needed to make sure she was okay. He couldn't waste time hiding. So he did the only thing he could do;
"That's pretty funny coming from you!" Cato yelled back, enraged. "Why don't you get rid of your armed bodyguards and fight me the way we were taught!? Let's see if you're still so smug and confident then, asshole!"
That'll do it, Cato thought and as soon as he did, he heard a bit of fussing happening, some hushed whispers and the sounds of guns and rifles being unloaded. He smirked to himself with a wince, because he realized that every breath he let out caused sharp pain in his chest. He placed his hand on the front of his jacket and saw blood on his fingers. The gun shot wound had started bleeding again and heavily, too. He gritted his teeth and rested his head against the wall behind him, trying to breathe.
"Alright, Hawks!" Thorn called out. "Let's have it your way!"
This was it. He would have to fight all four of them now with a bleeding chest and the thought of Clove likely having died in his head. There was no choice. He had been trained for such cases, though. He was strong and full of anger. He knew he could do this.
He needed to find her.
Pushing himself off of the wall, he came out of his hiding and faced his enemies once more. Eyes bright and focused, teeth clenched and fists ready to do some damage. He was going to kill them all. He was going to kill them and go find her. Nothing could stop him.
The Careers watched him with smirks on their sinister faces, now each one of them had a sword and their guns were in a pile behind them. Cato knew that the only way to get out of this situation alive was to first bruise their ego and never ever let them know that he was outnumbered strength-wise and weaker than them in any way. As long as he had them just a tiny bit uncertain and scared, he had a chance.
He took a few steps toward them, sword in hand, the handle of it covered in his own blood. But he squeezed it confidently, as he tried to remember all the reasons he hated them and the Capitol for. He remembered Lily, his ally from 5, her dead eyes no longer looking as she lied in a pool of blood in the forest. He remembered all the pain he experienced as the wolves Capitol had sent after him were trying to tear him apart and how badly it hurt to heal. He remembered Clove on the verge of dying, shaking and shivering in the corner of that dirty room.
He remembered Cade. His brother. His only family. His last words. His courage. And as he continued to reminisce, anger that he felt began to boost his self-confidence despite his hopeless position. Because there was something worse than a vicious, blood-thirsty, evil Career from 2.
A hungry for revenge, rage-filled Career from 2. A Career from 2 who was ready to burn the Arena down to the ground if it meant saving Clove. A Career who had nothing to lose and was already dead.
Seeing that Cato wasn't going to make the first move, Thorn decided it was a good idea to drive him to his absolute limit. "Scared, aren't you?" he fleered. "I think your girlfriend had more guts than you do. Such a shame, really, cause she was lovely,"
At that point, Cato almost thanked him. Because little did Thorn know, with that comment, he signed his death sentence. The suggestion that Clove was already gone sent him into a blind rage. He didn't even remember making his way to Thorn or the fight itself. All he knew was that the other guy was no competition for him. Their swords clashed together over and over again and it was malicious and ruthless. The other Careers cheered Thorn on but were not yet moving, confident that he could do the job and finish Cato on his own.
But he couldn't.
Cato ended up holding him in a chokehold and that was when one of the guys took a step forward, but Thorn yelled at him: "Stay where you are, I got him!" he ordered stubbornly, struggling to get free. Arrogance was dangerous. Brutus had been right. Arrogance was what could kill a Career very easily. Only now did Cato fully understand the importance of those words.
"You're all so stupid," Cato now sneered, not releasing his strong grip on the guy and watching his face change colors. "Did you not think for a second that once you've entered the arena, there would be no way out, no matter what happens with me and my allies?"
Thorn looked up at him, his glare relaxing and fear gradually starting to show in his shining eyes. He knew now that he had chosen his fate the minute he agreed to take part in this ridiculous show. Too bad he realized that far too late.
"Greetings from The Capitol," Cato growled and with one hard movement, Thorn's neck was snapped. He let the guy fall to the ground as he went limp, before glancing up at the other three who looked quite petrified with what just happened.
"Well come on, chickens," he teased them with a smirk. "Time is money, I've got some errands to run," he laughed, suddenly developing a sense of humor which only angered the others. They charged at him, all together, and he was more than prepared. He moved out of the way of the knife that the girl had sent flying in his direction and almost laughed when he realized how talentless she was in this department compared to his Clove. Before the other two guys could reach him, he grabbed a knife from his belt and two seconds later, the girl was eliminated. His sword stopped the machete from crushing his skull, as he kicked the other guy away from him making him fall back. Weak. They were so weak.
"Who's the disgrace now, huh?" Cato snorted at the boy on the ground before knocking the machete out of the other guy's hands. Before that kid knew what was happening, Cato's sword was already going in his stomach. The boy looked up, terrified and in shock, blood making its way out of his mouth. Cato kicked him back but was not fast enough to stop the last one, that was still unharmed, from stabbing him in the shoulder blade. He screamed in pain and fury and took the knife out with one swift movement of his hand before stabbing his attacker with his own blade in the neck.
Panting and enraged, he glared at the boy, "This is for Clove," he rasped before taking the knife out and pushing him back, making him collapse on the ground, rapidly bleeding out.
Cato stood there with a bloody knife in his hand. On the ground before him, there was one dead and three dying Careers from his home district. Kids his age. Kids who were manipulated into believing they could come in here, kill everyone and leave unharmed. Kids who didn't know any better.
Another cannon cut through the silence. He froze, feeling quite literally physical pain as the sound echoed in his ears. Another one. Which meant there were only three of them left. But who died now? Was it Rue? A lump instantly grew in the back of his throat and he swallowed hard to get rid of it, but it wouldn't go away.
Was it Clove?
No. He pushed that thought aside, deciding to get it together for as long as it takes to get back to where they had parted ways earlier. And he knew that she would either be there or they would find each other halfway. He knew it. Because she couldn't be dead. If there was one person out of three that was still alive - it was her.
He slowly approached the guy whose stomach had almost been pierced through by his sword, sharp and raspy breaths coming out of his mouth. Cato kneeled and looked down at him with disgust; "Did you kill her?" he asked through gritted teeth, no mercy in his voice. "Did you kill Clove?!"
The boy let out a grating cry full of pain and a few choking sobs later: "No," he choked out. "I swear," he begged him and Cato's face involuntarily relaxed as he watched the other guy suffer. "Please," he gasped. "I didn't hurt her, I didn't even see her!"
"Was one of those cannons hers?" Cato pressed on. "Was it!?"
"I don't know!" the guy cried out. "I don't know..."
Cato stood up, his knees shaking as he did. He felt hot blood running down his arm but he ignored it. "You shouldn't have come here," he whispered, taking a gun from behind his belt on the back and loading it. "Only one person gets out of the arena, how could you forget that so easily?" Cato asked the guy without expecting an answer. The boy let out a few more sobs, holding his bleeding stomach and Cato pointed the gun at his head. Before the guy closed his eyes to embrace his fate, a ghost of pure appreciativeness crossed his features and with the sound of the gun, Cato ended his suffering.
Two more shots cut through the dead silence. Cato fell to his knees, dropping the gun, his blood covered hands holding his head and he screamed and screamed silently, his mouth wide open but not making a sound.
Blood soaked the ground around him. Everything was quiet except for the soft sounds of the wind.
Just the wind...
Clove ran faster than she ever remembered before. Her legs would not slow down, they would not give in and she completely ignored the pain in her chest and the way her throat hurt, the way she couldn't take a decent breath and just ran faster and faster. He had to still be alive. There were two cannons. There was Raff's. And the next one must have belonged to Katniss. She heard the explosion. It must have been her and the few Careers that were trying to catch up with them. She hoped Fire Girl took as many as she could along with her...
She pushed the thoughts of Katniss aside because she needed to focus. She needed to find them. Him.
The branches cut her arms and her cheek, but she just continued on through the trees. When she felt like she was about to give up the ghost, she ran out of the trees and onto the dusty street, buildings everywhere in the background. She stood there, panting furiously, trying to calm the beating of her heart, but it was all futile.
Because there he was. Kneeling, holding himself up with his sword, blood all over his hands and the side of his face.
"Cato," she whispered, her heart picking up speed again. "CATO!"
He looked up, shocked and she almost collapsed with relief when his eyes connected with hers. She let out a heavy breath and smiled wholeheartedly.
Cato watched her in disbelief as he tried to stand up, the sword shaking underneath his weight. "Clove," he choked out, his voice breaking, a smile lighting up his face. He took a few steps forward, breathing fast and heavily, limping slightly. "Clove! Are you okay!?" he called to her and she nodded, about to go meet him halfway when she saw his face suddenly fall as he screamed her name. "Clove-!"
She frowned, but before she was able to realize what he was so terrified about, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. But it was already too late; she felt freezing and sharp pain in her abdomen and when she looked up, she saw Sasha's hateful eyes glaring at her.
Cato walked inside the training room where everyone else had already gathered, waiting for their mentors. He leaned against the wall casually, tired and bored. Every day was the same to him. Wake up, train, eat, train, sleep, wake up again. He just wanted to be picked for the Hunger Games already. Then once he's back in 2, he would finally have some minor control over his own life. He wasn't stupid. He knew he would still belong to someone and would likely have to do things he didn't feel like doing. But living his life as one of the Victors must be some kind of improvement.
"Yo, Cato," a dark-haired boy greeted him with a smirk, coming to a stop next to his spot by the wall. "What's been up?"
"Same old, what else?" Cato responded. "What's with the grin, Nigel? Have you been picked as a tribute or something?"
"Don't even joke, man," the guy snorted. "You know I don't have a chance to ever be picked, with you and Cade around,"
Cato shrugged, but couldn't help but let a proud smirk cross his face. He was right. "Well, you can always dream,"
Nigel glared at him half-heartedly before letting his eyes wander around. "Hey Clove!"
Cato felt his body tighten as soon as her name left the guy's mouth. Nigel knew her? He didn't have anything against him until now. He was actually probably the only fellow trainee he would ever want to have a decent conversation with. Why did he have to go and let him know he somehow was on speaking terms with this girl? The girl he had been trying to talk to for ages. The girl who had never paid him any mind.
"Morning, Nigel," her beautiful face didn't lighten up, though, which Cato noticed with relief. "Ready for an ass kicking?"
He snickered with a playful glint in his eyes that Cato wanted to squeeze out with his bare hands. "You know it!"
Clove just nodded and walked away as if she never spoke to anyone. Cato's eyes followed her for a minute too long.
"You like her, don't you?" Nigel asked with raised eyebrows and a goofy smile that did not suit a potential Career.
"Shut up," Cato snapped, his eyes still on Clove.
"Well, forget it either way," the boy calmly continued, taking a small knife from behind his belt and cleaning it with his sleeve. "Hunger Games have her heart. She ain't giving it to anyone else. Sorry, man," he half-shrugged with a somewhat sympathetic smile as he left him be and walked away to meet his mentor.
Cato clenched his fists hopelessly. Oh, he knew that much. Clove was perfect for the Games. She was everything the Academy tried so hard to make them become. She was the ideal tribute. But he couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance she would ever let something else inside her head. Something aside from claiming that crown and living the rest of her life as a victor. Maybe.. one day.. he would finally find it in himself to speak with her and then, well, they would take it from there. She would either ignore him and hate his guys, possibly aim for killing him in the Hunger Games if they were to be picked together. Or maybe she'd let him in. Perhaps she would go for doing something crazy; like befriending him. Maybe he had it in himself to have her fall for him half as hard as he was already falling for her.
Maybe...
She felt freezing and sharp pain in her abdomen and when she looked up, she saw Sasha's hateful eyes glaring at her.
Cato screamed in horror and it was the last thing she heard. Sasha was still in front of her. Clove saw her yank her arm back and only then did she realize what had just happened. Sasha was holding a knife covered in her blood. Clove placed her hand on her stomach and felt something warm and sticky.
Everything had turned really bright. She heard some faint gunshots and then she felt herself falling, but she didn't hit the ground; someone's strong arms caught her just in time and moments later she saw Cato staring down at her, a truly heartbreaking look on his face. His lips were moving and she knew he was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't hear anything. It seemed as if hours had passed before Cato pulled her closer to his chest for comfort and she felt a lot of pressure on her abdomen which made her cry out in pain.
"Clove, it's okay!" she finally was able to hear his voice coming from far away; everything went back to normal. She could see all the colors around her, she could see every little detail of Cato's face; the redness in his eyes and how pale his skin was. She could also feel excruciating pain in her stomach that made tears fall down her face without her permission. "It's all right!" Cato gasped, putting more pressure on her abdomen and making her cry out again. "I'm sorry, I need to stop the bleeding, it's gonna be okay," he promised. "You're gonna be just fine."
"Cato-" Clove gasped, trying to ignore all this pain she felt for the sake of what needed to be said. "Let go-"
"What?" he choked out. "No."
"I'm not gonna make it," she told him calmly because she knew she was already gone. But they still had the chance. "You have to go."
"No, you... are gonna live," he snapped, looking her in the eyes with desperation in his own. "Stop! You're gonna be fine!"
Tears of pure pain and sadness pooled in her eyes as she realized this was it; this was the moment she'd been putting off. This was the moment to be scared. She was dying. She could basically feel the life draining from her along with the hot blood which was escaping her body faster and faster. She felt so cold and rid of everything she once thought she was. She didn't know who she was or how she got here. All she could understand was that look Cato's face held as he stared at her, looking as though he was dying along with her.
"Clove, stay awake, ok?" he whispered, his voice shaking. "Just... stay with me."
"It's over, Cato," she shook her head with a weak attempt to try and get his hands off her wound. "You have to go."
"No!" he protested once more, taking his jacket off and turning it inside out before pressing it down to her abdomen. "Stop fighting me!" he barked when she still tried to get him to let go. Clove let out a single painful sob before giving up and turning her face away in hopes he wouldn't see her tears. But of course, he did. How could he not? "Clove..." the softness in his voice as he said her name almost drove her over the edge. How did this happen? How did they end up so helpless and full of feelings they couldn't understand?
"I'm dying, Cato," she stated, landing her swollen eyes on him again because she needed to get through to him. They were running out of time. "You have to find her," she choked out, her voice trembling. Cato bit his lip hard and desperately looked around as if that was enough to make Rue magically appear right in front of them. He glanced back down at her, multiples questions and doubts filling his mind.
What was he gonna do? It was just the two of them. And Rue. He didn't have a choice. Clove was dying in his arms. His everything was fading as seconds passed. He had to find her.
"Cato-" Clove gasped and let him know she needed him to move closer because she had to tell him something no one else could hear. He obeyed and leaned down so she could whisper in his ear the few, little words she could only hope he'd follow. And once she did make that last request of hers, he stared at her with wide eyes, trying his hardest to stop any and all the tears that he was sure were threatening to get out. She watched him for another short moment, waiting for some kind of reaction; anything to let her know he understood. That he would do as she told him because they both knew there was no other choice left.
Cato gave her a firm nod, hating all those changes that had happened to him throughout the past couple of days in this Godforsaken arena because he could really use some of his Career qualities. How was he supposed to just leave her here, on the ground and bleeding? How was he supposed to go and do what she asked of him when his heart screamed for him to do the exact opposite? But he knew what was more important. He'd known for a while.
Placing his hand on her forehead, he lowered his lips on hers for a brief, soft kiss; something so unlike him, so out of order. He waited for her eyes to open again before he spoke, "I will be back. I promise." he vowed and she smiled through her tears and nodded, although she knew it wasn't going to happen. It was written all over his face; this was goodbye. He wasn't coming back. He sniffed before gently lying her down on the ground. He then grabbed one of her petite hands, replacing his own with hers on the clothing that he had covered her wound with. "Hold it there, don't let go," he whispered and she coughed a few times, but nodded anyway. A thin stream of blood made its way out of the corner of her mouth and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment once he noticed. He bent down to kiss her forehead and once more gazed deep into her eyes with the silent message of a thousand unspoken words he wished he had time to say out loud.
"I'll be back," he told her again and she nodded with a crooked smile on her face, agreeing to something she knew was a lie. And it hurt. God, it hurt so much more than Sasha's knife stabbing through her insides. But for the sake of the show, and for the sake of what he had to do, she watched him go away with a dying goodbye on her lips. Never to see him again. But this was the only way. The only choice they had left.
His large figure disappeared down the street as he jogged further and further away from her. He never looked back and she was glad he didn't.
Because she knew that had he decided to do so, the fear she felt would have made her ask him to come back to her side. And she knew, that as much as she didn't want him to ...
... he would have.
Rue heard more gunshots from her hiding spot up on the roof of the building, but she dared not take a peek who was shooting who. She stayed low, sitting with her knees pressed to her chest, She rocked her small body back and forth, choking back tears and waiting. Waiting for him because he promised her he would come back. Right? He was a Career. His word meant everything to him.
As if on cue, she heard a pair of footsteps closing its distance with the roof. Tap, tap, tap. Quick steps up the stairs. Rue perked up, rubbing away some tears as she got on her feet, a half-smile on her face. "Cato-" she said when the person made it to the top. Her smile disappeared as soon as it showed and she took a step back.
"Aw, I'm sorry," the boy with black hair and dark, evil eyes teased her, a sharp sword in his hand. "It's not your big brother, little girl,"
She squeezed the knife Cato had given her in her hand, remembering his words. Self-defense will not make you a murderer. With that in mind, she ran straight into him, hoping to take him by surprise and try to hurt him enough to give her the chance to run down the stairs. But the boy just laughed and before long, she was being pushed back. She fell on the ground and was now looking up hopelessly in her murderer-to-be's soulless eyes.
"Thought we'd play hide-and-seek, kid?" he growled with a smirk. "Think again,"
Having said that, he lifted his sword, ready to give the Game Makers another opportunity to release one more cannon. Rue squeezed her eyes shut, thinking of her family, wanting nothing more than to keep their smiling faces in her mind before she leaves this world.
The pain never came. Instead, she heard a sound of clutching swords above her and she opened her eyes to Cato standing next to her attacker, mad as ever, eyes red and unforgiving, blood covering the side of his face and neck.
"How about you fight someone similar to your size, dickhead?"
Using the guy's absolute astonishment, he pushed him back and as far away from Rue as he could. He lifted his sword for the guy to see blood stains on it. "Why don't you try me? Your friends sure did, but I bet they now wish they hadn't," Cato carried on, sizing him up with disgust. "I remember your pathetic ass. Silas, right?"
"I'm just doing what I was told to do," he tried defending himself, losing all of his self-confidence from before.
"Are you really?" Cato drawled, unimpressed. "Well you sure aren't as tough when it's no longer a darn 12-year-old on the ground in front of you,"
He heard Rue getting on her feet and he couldn't help but look over his shoulder just to check on her. That's when he sensed a rapid movement and was forced, yet again, to stop the other's guy's sword, this time for striking him. "Attacking when one's not looking. Classic." Cato snorted, frustration licking on his insides. He slashed his sword hard enough to knock Silas' weapon out of his hands. It fell far away from his reach and made the boy panic.
"We didn't have a choice," he blattered out, taking a step back. "We had orders!"
"There's always a choice," Cato spat at him. "You made the wrong one."
Rue covered her eyes because she knew what was about to happen. She heard a painful gasp and a loud thud but stayed put until she felt Cato grab her arms. She lowered her hands and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, effectively catching him off guard. He let her stay like that for much longer than he would have expected. "It's alright," he gasped.
Rue stepped away, all shaken up still. "I thought you were dead,"
"Close guess, but not quite," he joked half-heartedly.
"Cato, did you find Clove?" she asked immediately and it never failed to amaze him how selfless that little girl was. Here they were - perhaps minutes away from the end of the Games, meaning one of them was about to die, and yet she still found it important to ask about someone else. Cato looked her in the eyes, tears and horror that he felt so very visible in his own. "No," she whispered, thinking the worst had happened.
"She's gonna be fine," he lied, almost choking on his own words. "we need to go to her, come on,"
But before he could stand up, they heard a chilling, dark laugh coming from behind them. Cato looked over his shoulder at Silas who was on the ground bleeding from his abdomen and snickering like he'd gone mental. He slowly got to his feet, holding his arm out as if defending Rue from whatever was about to happen. "What's so hilarious?" he asked Silas who just continued his mad chuckling, sobs and chokes mixed in between. Cato clenched his fists and approached him, very quickly losing patience, but feeling anxious at the same time.
"What's so fucking funny!?"
Silas laughed on for another couple of seconds before showing them a remote he had in his hand. A remote with a red light on. One word slipped through his lips;
"Boom,"
She lay there alone, in the middle of this deserted street, surrounded by dirt and nothingness she was falling into. Her breathing had become slower and huskier with time and she found herself occasionally gasping for air. The jacket she still had her hand firmly pressed down on was getting damp; her fingers began feeling her own blood seeping through it the same way her life was seeping out of her. She turned her face to the side and felt the coldness of the ground beneath her cheek. She tasted more blood in her mouth and it made her cough again, sending agonizing pain through her entire midsection. She sucked in a breath and squeezed more tears out of her eyes that had quit seeing colors. Everything was bright, almost white.
Her lips began moving, speechlessly at first before she started making sounds. She had no idea how she was capable of remembering those words that unexpectedly came flowing out of her mouth like her own blood.
"Deep in the meadow... under the willow... "
Her ears were ringing and couldn't hear anything else except her own, weak voice somewhere inside her head as she continued to whisper-sing Katniss' song. She had no idea how in the world she was capable of memorizing the lyrics. But they were burned in her mind and she didn't even have to think to remember the words;
"A bed of grass..."
As the brightness began closing in on her vision more and more, her grip on Cato's jacket became less firm. How glad she was that at least she had something of his with her as her life was bleeding out of her. How relieved she felt to have that little, meaningless piece of him with her; something that smelled like him and was her only source of comfort.
"A soft green pillow..."
Her hand became limp and there was nothing there anymore to stop the blood from pouring right out of her. And as it did, she ignored how sore and painful her throat felt. She disregarded the fact she could no longer feel anything from the waist down. She focused every little piece of her mind on the remainders of warmth Cato had left behind with her.
"Lay down your head..."
She couldn't see anything anymore. She couldn't hear a thing. She couldn't feel any pain and it was so nice... The numbness she was so used to back in the day had come back to deliver that sweet relief she'd been seeking. It didn't hurt. Not even a bit.
"And close... your-"
Not even a tiny bit.
A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter even though I know it was very dark and incredibly sad, especially if you compare it to the previous one. But we all knew it would come to this. And I believe that, given that it is a Hunger Games fic, such things should be expected. I do hope that the major change of heart Clove and Cato had, made it an easier/better read. Clearly, their characters are by now more OOC, but that's the entire point of this story - to explore them and try to imagine how big of a change those two could endure if they were given that chance.
Next chapter will be the last one and the victor will be revealed. I can also tell you in secret, there will be a tiny, little twist at the end. So I truly hope you will read until the very last line! Please let me know your opinions in reviews. I will update soon! :)
PS. If you guys have not yet heard Ruelle's music, I strongly recommend her (I quoted one of her songs at the beginning of this chapter). I think she is amazing; her music is played often on The Shadowhunters and a lot of other TV shows. Her songs tend to be dark and very mysterious; they've been part of my inspiration to write as of lately. Check them out!