District Three's Kendrick Reeves's POV

As I wrapped homemade bandages, made from the clothes that Caia and I wore, around Caia's wounds as well as my own, I could tell that I was giving off a look of depression.

I was disappointed, and angry. Not at Caia, but at myself, for failing to beat up Daria when she was beating up my ally. But also, for letting Zeal beat me in a fight. And there was more, I had been knocked out in a fight that I had failed to do two things in rapid succession, and left Caia alone to defend me.

Caia wasn't a fighter, and the wounds on her body showed it. Those mutts had taken off so much flesh that there were pieces of bones showing from Caia's body, and blood was flowing out freely. Her arms and legs were seriously mangled from the damage the mutts had given her, and the worst part was that her right eye had been ripped out of head. It was disgusting to say the least as blood continued to pump out of that gaping hole of nothingness.

My injures, as bad as they were, weren't nearly as bad as my ally's.

She was still alive though, but for how long I did not know, and that wasn't a pleasant thought. I wanted to be optimistic about the situation, but it was hard to think of one outside of that we killed all the other tributes before one of us bleeds out and dies.

And who knows how many tributes are left out there. Not counting the bloodbath victims I saw, there could be no new deaths out there. For all I know, twenty tributes, including Caia and I, are still alive out there. And there's been any cannons firing during the entire duration of the games. It made me think if they were ever going to fire a cannon. Of was the bloodbath still going on? Could be possible, but could a bloodbath last this long? I guess it's possible if tributes keep on running into each other and the Capitol doesn't know if they're going to die soon or not.

There was another problem as well. When there's just the two of us left, would I be forced to kill Caia? Or would I be forced to watch her slowly bleed to death in agony? I didn't like either of my choices.

I wanted to go home, back to District Three and be with my family and friends again, though some of them were dead because of the shootings. Mac was still alive, that much I was sure of.

Was she watching me right now? What time was it? Ten? Twelve oh clock? Earlier? It felt as if I had been in the arena for days. Maybe I had been in here for days. But they still haven't fire off the cannons, or showed the pictures of the dead tributes.

Maybe I was asleep for that.

"Caia," I asked, wanting answers. "Did any cannons fire while I was asleep?"

"No." Caia answered simply.

"What about pictures? Did pictures of dead tributes show up in the sky? Or ceiling?"

"No." Caia answered again.

This was bothersome.

We didn't know how many were dead, who was dead, or how long we had been in the arena. For all we knew, we could be the only people left out here.

If I killed Caia right here and now, would I win the game?

The idea stuck with me for a little bit, but then I decided to push it away, because if I was wrong, I'd of killed my only ally, and I'd be left out here alone. I would of murdered Caia for nothing, and I'd be left with another failure on my conscious, and I'd be dying alone. I didn't want to die alone.

If I was going to die, I wanted someone to be there with me, comforting me. I didn't want to be one of those kids that were alone in the arena, looking up at the sky and seeing only regrets. I wanted someone to be with me and tell me everything was going to be all right, even if it was a total lie. Because dying is scary, plain and simple, and I didn't want to have to go through it alone.

As I wrapped another crude bandage around my ally's arm, I thought of how I wanted to change District Three, help stop it from suffering as bad as it was. How much I hatted the poverty we lived in back home and how we were fighting for scraps.

My family was one that I could always look back at, because that's where my struggling began.

I wasn't born in a medical center, because my parents were too poor to even afford that. I was born in an electrical plant that was under construction at the time. The perfect place to hole up and give birth in peace.

Then as I grew up, I quickly discovered just how hard it was to survive in the poor world we were in. My parents always just barley scrapping by, my family and I going hungry for days, and everything they did didn't seem help any.

I tried to help them in everyway I could. But again, it didn't seem to make any difference. And as I grew older, there became more and more needs, so in turn, we had to work harder and harder. I had to work.

And it wasn't just me suffering as well. The entire district was suffering. It was childish, idealistic thinking, but I wanted to change all that. Everyone thought I was either stupid, mentally blind, mentally dense, or all three. I cared what they thought, and it got to me more times then I can remember, but I didn't stop. I thought of stopping a lot, but when the thought of making the district even a little bit better came to my mind, I went right back to my childish, idealistic thinking.

When I turned ten, I decided to make my talk a reality. I started to train for the games so that I could volunteer when I turned eighteen. Just like the careers that everyone despised.

But I wasn't going to be like the careers. The careers did it out of district pride, and I think that the careers just wanted to show their neighbors who was the better district. To show Districts One, Two, and Four, that they were better then each other. I wasn't going to be like that, I was going to win for a real purpose. A purpose that would actually do some good.

I trained in secret, because I knew what everyone thought of the games, especially my mom and dad. They wouldn't of wanted me to go into the arena, because all they saw was death and misery. But what I saw in the arena, beyond that death and misery, was the path to greater things.

Victors get more then enough money to live a lifetime in luxury. And not only that, but once a month, for one year, the Capitol would supply the district with food and medicine and all kinds of other good stuff. How great was that?

I thought to myself, if I win the games, I'll make this district better. I'd actually do something with my winnings, unlike most of the previous victors, who spent their money on alcohol, drugs, whores, and other useless stuff like that. It made me sick to think that they weren't helping us, they had so much money, and they had lived in the same district as us, but as soon as they won, the rest of us were nothing to them.

There had been victors that helped make the district better, but they were far and between.

A victor would help the district. The victory would bring food and money to the district, helping it in ways that it couldn't do by itself. If I wasn't going to win, I wanted Caia to win, and I hoped that she'd actually help the district instead of casting them away.

I finished bandaging up Caia, who in turn, was patching me up, and wondered if we really had a chance of winning.

The first person we ran into was Calamity, and he almost killed Caia before he got away from me. I left Caia, so in turn, I might of killed her myself. But I didn't, and we were able to continue on.

Then we meet Selene, Caritta, Tanner, and Adrian. Tanner and Adrian left us, leaving behind the two girls. We didn't kill them though, we had let them escape. After that, we encountered a group of fighters named Zeal, and Daria. That didn't go down well.

All my years of training, all my thoughts of making a better District Three, almost went down the tube during that fight, because Zeal had almost killed me, and Daria had almost killed Caia. Sure I had almost killed Daria myself, but without me by her side, Caia wouldn't of stood a chance against Zeal. We had almost lost out chance then.

Then the mutts came and almost destroyed any chance of a better District Three future. But alive I was. I regained conscious, and saved Caia, who had protected me against the mutts at the price of her flesh and right eye.

One fight nearly ended us. The next fight almost ended us for good.

Two fights nearly ended us. What was to say the next one wouldn't finish the job?

Surviving in the arena, was harder then I thought. No wonder you have to be a career to make it through to the end. My training was nothing compared to theirs. While they probably had schools for that, I was training in my house, or someplace abandoned.

I trained against invisible enemies. They trained against real enemies.

I practiced with pieces of metal. They had weapons that were more real.

I taught myself. They had teachers.

I sometimes only did it for half an hour a day. They probably spend hours on training everyday, and theirs would be much more intense, real, and proper.

I should of known that fighting would be hard during this year's reapings when I got attacked by that peacekeeper. I had known that it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't think I'd end up like this.

"Caia." I said. "Do you think we'll be able to win?"

Caia looked at me before speaking.

"We can't both win, you know." She told me.

"Then, do you think one of us will win?" I asked. "I mean, we nearly got killed, twice, out of two fights."

"I'm not sure." Caia answered, looking down. I could see that she obviously didn't like the way this was going. "I. Just don't know. The scrape at the back of your head. My eye getting ripped out. The way we're both injured. I wouldn't be surprised if we died of blood loss."

Caia was thinking just like me. She didn't know if we had a chance or not. "But." Caia continued. "If we keep going, we still have a chance."

My hopes went up with those words.

"Yeah." I said. But then I started to feel better as thoughts rushed through my head. "Yeah." As long as we keep on going, there's still a chance that we could win it. Just because we nearly lost the previous two fights, doesn't mean we'll lose the next one. "Your right Caia. We just have to keep on going." Just like me and my training.

There were times where I just wanted to give up. Give up and just say 'screw it', but I kept on going, because there was always a chance to hope for. District Three, needs a victor.

As soon as Caia was doing tying my bandages, I stood up and helped Caia to her feet.

"Where are we going to go?" Caia asked.

"I thought you were going to tell me." I said, thinking about how Caia was usually the one to do the planning. But now she seemed unsure of herself, and that worried me. This game was changing her from the girl that thought she knew everything, to the girl that thought she knew nothing. I didn't like that. Caia was smart, not stupid, and she knew what she was doing, despite what people say about her.

"I'd like to get some proper medical supplies." Caia told me. "But I don't know where they would be."

"Then we'll just have to look around until we find them." I told her. "We won't be finding any just sitting around here, will we?"

"No." Caia softly said. I didn't like this Caia, I needed to do something to get her back to normal.

"One plus one equals window." I joked. Caia just looked at me, expressionless before saying.

"Ha ha." In a monotone voice. Now I wondered what was wrong with her, after all, this wasn't her. Something had happened while I was knocked out, and I wanted to know what.

"What's wrong Caia?" I asked. "Why are you like this?"

"It's just that." Caia started, pausing for a little bit as she looked down, like she was ashamed of something. "Nothing's going the way that I want them to go. I'm starting to think that I'm worthless, that I shouldn't even be trying anymore. I'm...Just not sure of myself anymore."

"I'm sorry Caia." I said as I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "But listen here, your not worthless, and whatever decision you make is probably a better one then not making one at all. I'm glad that you stayed with me and defended me against the mutts. Can you imagine yourself right now if you tried to run away from them?"

She seemed to think for a second.

"Lost. Scared. Alone." She answered.

"Instead, your here. Less lost, less scared, and not alone. So I think that you made the better decision then running away."

"I guess." Caia said, looking like she was going better, which made me feel better as well.

"Right." I told her with a smile. "Now. Lets go find a medical room and get some proper treatment for your eye. Before you know it, one of us will be back in District Three with a victor's earnings."

The problem was, who was going to be going home?

District One's Zane's POV

God damn it! God fucking damn it! It hurts so bad!

Serves you right.

Shut up Calamity.

Doesn't feel so good being on the other side of pain does it?

What part of shut up don't you understand damn it!

I had ran back down the hallway and picked up Selene's shirt and wrapped it around my hand to slow down the bleeding, but I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker as the energy from my body was rapidly getting sapped from me.

How does it feel Zane? How does it feel to be a victim for once in your life?

I told you to shut up Hale! How does it feel to, yet again, fail to protect someone?

Victory doesn't count. I saw the look in her eyes, they're the same as yours. Hollow. Soul less. Psychotic.

Someone that's dead. Something that you could never do yourself for all your talking about death and suicide.

It was then that Calamity shut up for real. I gave out a smile of triumph as I got him to shut up again. Pain wouldn't shut him up this time, because pain was everywhere on this body. Needles were poking into my back, hot pain washed over my face, my right hand was hanging by only about a quarter of it's original flesh, and my entire body ached badly.

Damn that Victory. Damn her. Why did she have to fight so well? Why couldn't she of just let me have my way with her? Damn it.

I continued to running, looking for something, anything, to help me with my wounds. I didn't want to die, and I wouldn't give Calamity the satisfaction of dying just yet. It was still far too soon for that.

He had wanted to die ever since the arson attack on him home, and yet, here he was still, because he was too much of a coward to commit suicide, despite all his talk about killing me and killing himself. His talks, were laughable. He could say he'll commit suicide as many times as he wants, but we both knew that it was never going to be.

I exited the narrow tunnel, and saw that there was a giant room that looked a lot like the lunch rooms back in the academy. Dusty chairs and tables were everywhere, and beyond that, there was a counter, and behind that. Yes!

I ran to the counter as fast as I could before going around it and into the kitchen.

And what do you know, there was cooking equipment everywhere. Sure there was no knives or meat tenderizers or anything that could be used as a portable weapon, but there was a stove there, and that's all I wanted.

I turned on the stove and waited for it to get hot.

While I waited, I looked around the cooking area to see if there was anything else of use.

A fridge, a freezer, a deep fryer, cupboards, drawers, shelves, all empty and covered heavily with dust. Except for the deep fryer which was filled with grease, but that didn't matter, because what was I going to do with the grease in there?

There was nobody to use it on, and there was nothing to cook with it.

I went back to the stove, and saw that the burner was red.

I unwrapped the shirt around my hand, and decided that I wouldn't be able to cauterize it properly as it was. So I twisted my nearly severed hand, broke the rest of my wrist while shouting and pain as I tore my hand from my wrist.

As pain and blood spilled from my hand, I placed my bleeding limb on the hot burner, and let it cauterize my wound as it sizzled and burned.

I screamed out in pain as I let my flesh cook for a few seconds, before I removed it from the stove. The pain of cauterizing it was even worse then when it had gotten cut off.

But I couldn't stop now. No. There were other wounds that I needed to tend to, and this stove was going to help me.

Damn you Victory. Damn you.

If I ever meet you again, and you're not dead, I'll make you wish you were.

District Twelve's Daria "Dare" Nettle's POV

"I'm tired." Zeal said to me as we walked down the hallway. "Can we rest?"

I didn't answer, and I didn't want to stop. I didn't like standing still too much, much to the disappointment of my school teachers. It was one of the reasons that they eventually kicked me out because I was a so called 'lost cause'. I couldn't help that their classes were boring and that I couldn't sit in a desk all day. That, and they also said that I was incapable of learning, or something like that.

I stopped thinking about the stupid school and returned to more pressing thoughts.

After hearing Zeal's story, it made me wonder. And as I continued to walk the halls with my district partner, more and more thoughts came to my head. But one kept on appearing more and more often.

People often wondered why I did the things I did.

Why Daria? Why do you put yourself in danger for a cheap thrill? Why did you do something as stupid as that? Is it really that fun to try to kill yourself in a non-standard suicidal way?

To those people, I say to them, District Twelve isn't the best of place to find the light. District Twelve, the place that we, unfortunately call home, is what smarter people would call, a bleak place to live. A place that tries to suck away all your hopes and dreams and leave you nothing more then an empty shell of what you used to be. It hardly fails, as even the kids act as if their life is over the second they learn about the world.

It's not hard to see why. We live in the worst place in Panem, we have harsh peacekeepers, we live in a run down district, and it's not like we have anything to look forward to other then working for the rest of our life. Especially if you live in the Seam, like me. The merchant class has it better, but they're still in the same situation as those from the Seam, only a little bit richer and less starved.

If that wasn't enough, you have people like Zeal and his friends running around, terrorizing those that just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Zeal and his gang aren't the only group of thugs around, nor are they the worst, and that says something on its own.

The district also lacks hope, because whenever tributes get sent into the arena, we just assume that they'll die, because almost nobody from District Twelve gets back home alive. The last tribute from District Twelve that came out of the arena alive had died nearly a decade ago.

It was easy to see why people would be all down and depressed about living back home. Easy to see why they just slugged forward day after day after day, knowing that any day could be your last.

So when I found out that doing those 'dangerous' stunts made me happy, I held onto that, because you have to find something that makes you happy to be alive, otherwise you end up just like everyone else. You end up walking around with dead eyes, wondering around day after day with nothing to live for.

If what Zeal said was true, then he had found what he lived for. He lived for his friends, but I still doubt that they really are his friends.

I also hated the fact that they held a deep grudge against anyone that resembled the person that tried to wrong his Ruthie. That was why he almost killed Kendrick, because he reminded him of that one person that he hatted.

Zeal had been silent for a while, ever since I told him to shut up. Which I found kind of a good thing, because I didn't want to hear anymore of his excuses. He may of told me his history, but that didn't mean that I had to like it. Just because he had a tragic history didn't mean that I had to feel anymore sympathy for him, because everyone back home has a story, not just him, or myself. He killed. His friends killed. I didn't have to feel anymore sorry for them then I already did.

There were other people that I thought were more sympathetic then Zeal and his friends.

My family for one, were the ones that I felt the most sorry for.

My mother worries about me too much and keeps on pushing me to do things that I sometimes don't want to do, which I do find annoying. But that's because she just wants what's best for me, and I understand that. Parents want their kids to do better then they did.

My father hardly gets to see us ever since he started to work extended hours in the mines. He had worked too hard before that, but then he started to work harder, longer, and hardly got to see me anymore. He was my favorite person ever, he taught me so many things, like how to be adventurous, how to interact with people, and how not to let our status put me down.

There were things that he tried to teach me as well, like how to be more patient, and how I had to learn to sit down for more then two minutes. But, there were things that I just couldn't learn.

I missed those days when it would just me dad and I doing things together. Those days were long gone. I wanted those days back, which is why I'd win, as much of a lost cause everyone back home thought it was, and return home.

One of the things that usually got tributes from Twelve to lose so easily was because they themselves, had given up hope. They dubbed themselves losers, so they didn't put up much of a fight. I wasn't one of those kids.

I hadn't given up. That was the difference between me, and the previous District Twelve tributes. "Can we rest now?" Zeal asked.

"No." I told him.

"What about now?" He asked instantly after I had finished my answer.

"No." I told him again.

"What about now?" He asked.

My head then started to throb painfully. I didn't know if it was from Zeal being annoying, or if it was from that District Three duo beating me all over the place with a lead pipe and their bare fists.

Suddenly, my whole body started to get splashed with pain. I felt my left shoulder hit the wall as I started to slide down it.

I dropped to my hands and knees before I replied.

"Fine. But only for a minute."

"Yay." Zeal happily said.

I pushed myself up, not wanting to faint. Thankfully, the pain that I was experiencing was preventing me from doing so.

I managed to get my back to the wall when I started to hear voices in the distance.

I looked to my left, and saw a four wall hallway. The voices seemed to come from the one leading to the left turn.

People were coming, and they were going to be exactly like Perla, Kendrick, and Caia. They were going to kill us, so we have to kill them before they kill us.

I pulled out an arrow before notching it onto my bow string.

They wanted a fight, I'll give them a fight.

"Zeal." I said to my ally. "Get ready to fight. There are people that we need to get rid of."

A/N: Rushed? A bit. So yeah, hope you all enjoy.

Oh yes, for those that like fighting, you'll like the next chapter.