Alternate chapter title: everything goes badly. For everyone.

Also: short(ish) POV's make a return! There's a few this time!

Day Nine, Midnight

Delilah Fauve, District 11, 16

Lexie as weak in my arms as I struggled to drag her down the corridor. I could still feel the heat from the tornado of flames. Despite the mild pain in my injured albeit recovering leg, I felt completely numb. I was just in shock at Lexie's strength. When she defended us from the horde of mutts, it was like she'd become a new person completely. With her dark hair floating around her and her blank eyes she looked like an empress, a goddess, or something even stronger.

Lexie was mumbling slightly, still weakened. I remembered how casting some of those spells would leave me feeling drained, though Lexie remained unperturbed. Now it had taken its toll on my ally. She was slowly regaining strength and I had to apply less weight on her to drag her forwards. I was still scared and weary that Pullox - the Gamemakers - anyone - would make another bid to finish us off while we were at our weakest. Thankfully, they never did. When we crossed the nearest door I practically shoved Lexie into the bathroom, making my way into it quickly afterwards.

Thank Panem. There was a lock. I quickly slid the lock across so that we kept whatever was out there... out there.

"Lia," Lexie was sprawled across the floor, slurring. She looked up at me emptily. "Where is my book? I need my book..." She groaned, gripping onto the marble edge of a bathtub as she stood. I glanced around the room we were in. It was small, albeit very beautiful. There was a hole in a slab of marble which was supposed to be a toilet, a bath (which had been filled with soapy water) and a sink. The decor was very plain, but still pretty. As Lexie stood she grabbed a backpack from my hands, looking through it for the book. She seemed to be getting to her normal self. "We need to kill him."

"Kill who?" I said wearily, looking up at Lexie. She found a page on the spellbook and smirked.

"We're killing Pullox," Lexie said.

"We can't do that," I said, quietly. Lexie seemed somewhat offended. I had been treading around broken glass, but now Lexie was being stupid and I had to put my foot down. She'd just temporarily fainted. She wasn't in the best position to be making decisions. I quickly began explaining myself: "Look, I get it. He needs to die. But we don't know where he is or what power he has. We can't just go on some kind of revenge hitch. And you're weak," I touched her arm affectionately. "You just fainted, Lexie. And I may be better but my leg isn't in perfect condition... We need rest."

"I am not weak," Lexie said, affronted. "Just because you're weak doesn't mean I am." I couldn't help but feel the sting - she could've slapped me hard and it hurt less. I refused to wince or show vulnerability, glancing at her. "Pullox is strong, but I am stronger. You saw what I did?" Lexie gestured to the doorway. "I can mumble a word and control fire. I can control anything."

"This isn't right," I said, coming to a realisation. "This isn't you..."

"What do you mean?" Lexie was the one sounding uncertain now.

I knew what I had to do. It wasn't a strength. It was pretending to be a strength because it gifted you awesome powers - but there was something that wasn't right. Lexie wasn't someone who went on revenge sprees. Lexie wasn't someone who talked about killing nonchalantly. And could it really be so strong when it weakened you so much? I wrestled with a decision for a second while Lexie looked at me, almost worried. Then I knew what I had to do. I sprang into life, grabbing the book in Lexie's arms and beginning to try and pull it out of her grip.

Despite being drained, she still had more muscle than me. The element of surprise gave me an advantage, but she just about managed to cling onto it. I struggled, gritting my teeth and screaming with frustration as I tried to force it from her grip. She clawed into my hands, making them bleed, as she desperately tried to make sure that I wasn't the one who got the book in her hands.

"Stop it!" She screeched. "This is my power, just because you're jealous!"

Alarm bells rang when I saw her reaching for one of her daggers. I kicked my good leg forward, forcing it into her gut and forcing her to the ground. She didn't even seem affected when she landed on her backside, glaring up at me as I clutched onto the book she revered so much. It shook in my hands and I decided to make a decision. It was a decision I could regret... but I knew what I had to do.

I threw the book in the filled bathtub, the water splashing across the floor and the ceiling. Lexie gasped as the water slapped her face, and then glared at me with rage. I watched as the book bobbed the surface.

Lexie was sobbing now. She forced herself to her feet, desperately opening the book. The pages were damp and falling apart. The ink had been splattered and was now indiscernible. It was now a blank, useless book. Mission accomplished.

"No!" Lexie desperately tried to turn the saturated pages, tears streaming down her face as she stood. There was water everywhere. "This... this was how I survived... You ruined it for me..." I didn't say anything. I was shocked with myself, but I knew why I did what I did. I didn't regret it. I couldn't regret it. Not now. Lexie's eyes seemed to darken as she glared at me, saying one word: "Inverser."

The force was unlike anything I'd ever felt. It felt like I was carried by nothing, like a feather stroked me, despite the fact a massive force had shoved me off my feet. Cracking was felt behind me as I smashed into the wall, slumping to the floor with shards of tiles and glass from a mirror. I didn't even cry out as blood seeped from the back of my head and pain blossomed, knocking any fight I had in me away. I weakly stood myself up with my elbows, looking at Lexie as she stood before me. She was glaring down at me, holding a knife.

"Why?"

"Do I really have to tell you why, Lia?" Lexie said to me emptily, dropping the ruined book in front of me. At first I didn't register what she said, and when I did a feeling of dread had hit me.

"... Lexie..." I was stunned.

"I've known for a while now," Lexie reached into her dress, taking out what looked like pills. "I didn't just give you anti-biotics. I gave you sedatives, to make sure you didn't wake." Suddenly everything was making sense, and I reached the correct conclusions before Lexie told me. "I knew where your secret was hidden. You should've ripped it apart, but you didn't. And when I read it I was so shocked and stunned. And I was asking myself in my head all the time - why? Why did she not tell me? The whole Capitol knew her secret, but I didn't."

"Lexie, please..." The tears started as I leaned up, against the wall. Blood was still flowing down my head, raining down my neck and on to the floor. "You have to understand-"

"I don't understand!" Lexie snarled. "When you kept your secret from the Capitol, I understood. But you still kept it from me. You put me in danger for some stupid, selfish reason!" Her face had gone red. She was furious. "You tried to kill me to keep your secret!" I was sobbing loudly this time. I just felt defeated. I wanted to tell Lexie in my own terms. I wanted to apologise for being stupid and selfish. I didn't want it to end like this. Lexie was crying now, despite trying to appear angry and resolute. "And it was stupid because despite everything I... I liked you. I tried to keep your secret to myself once you woke up. I tried to understand but again and again and again you compromise my life for your selfish whims." I tried to stand up, but she kicked me down. "I'd have tolerated that, once. I really would. But I'm not tolerating that now. I'm not the same person anymore," she was mopping the tears from her face. "None of this is the same anymore."

"So you're just going to kill me?" I stopped crying. Maybe I deserved to die.

Lexie nodded. She gripped onto a knife. For a tense second I stared at her, accepting my death. The tears slipped down my cheeks as Lexie stepped towards me, slipping her knife closer and closer to my throat. Just as I closed my eyes, expecting to die, Lexie retracted. She stood up tall and glanced down at me pitifully but with some sympathy.

"I can't," she said. "I can't kill you. Because when I look at you I see Nate. I see my ally." She was pale and shaken, looking more upset than angry now. "But I'm never forgiving you. Not ever." She made her way towards the doorway, playing with the lock. Before she left she turned to me with a very menacing glare. "You can keep the supplies. You'll need them. I won't."

The door slammed in my face, leaving me alone in the soaked room. Somehow, that hurt me more than a knife ever could.

Day Nine, Morning

Sebastian Keating, District 6, 17

I paced around in front of Willow, who was tied to a chair. She hadn't really spoken since being kidnapped. She was just pale and silent, always glancing at the floor as if she were too disgusting to even acknowledge her kidnappers. The tatters where her dress fell made her look dishevelled. You could tell just looking at her that she'd changed since the Games began - her eyes were more wise, and she'd lost a lot of weight very quickly. Sadly, a similar change was seen in me. When I saw myself I had maddened eyes, sallow skin. And yet I felt so powerful.

We'd been hoping that Darius and Mirane would arrive and we had the perfect plan for them. I'd take a small swig of the Victor's Vial every few hours to gain strength, and said vial was hidden behind the piano, which continued to play on its own. It was creepy, but you kind of got used to it. This whole arena was creepy.

Trojan had chosen to abstain from the Victor's Vial, which kind of roused my suspicions - why would he abstain from something that made him so invincible? His explanation that we needed it as much as possible and his job was to use the gun and pick off Darius and Mirane from the second floor was logical, but it just seemed like an excuse. I paced around the ballroom floor, noting my own shadow in the spectacular marble. When I glanced up the stairway, Trojan wasn't hidden as expected. He was glancing down at me.

The piano's tune suddenly became a lot more ominous. Trojan loaded the shotgun in his hand.

"They're still not here?" He snarled. "It's morning. It's been hours."

"They wouldn't just leave her to die..." I said.

"They probably will. We'll give her a few more hours, and if not, we'll kill her," Willow, who was tied up tight, didn't even react to the news of her impending death. I did. I didn't want to act weak in front of Trojan - I knew the plan was to kill the Eights and her. But the thought of just shooting a thirteen year old was definitely an unattractive one. It was an idea I didn't want to flirt with. "We can give them a few pointers, though," Trojan circled around the second floor so that he was out of sight. "Make her scream for her allies. Then they have a better chance of hearing her and they'll pay us a visit."

I paused, the ominous music still haunting my thoughts, the perfect accompaniment to Trojan's devious plan. I liked Trojan, a part of me even thought he was a good person, but I was suddenly regretting this, despite the new strength I'd found in the Victor's Vial. I walked in front of Willow and tried to get her attention by smiling politely at her. That didn't work - she didn't want to acknowledge me.

"Hey," I said gently. "It's rude to ignore someone, you know?"

"It's rude to kidnap people."

That struck a chord. Okay, when it came to manners I guess this girl won. "I'm doing what I have to do to survive." I didn't feel wholly justified in saying that. But I had to kill other people. The final eight was so close, and if I wanted to reach it I really had to step up my gain. Being invincible wasn't enough; I had to use my invincibility. "We all want to avoid the suffering, right? Then you can avoid your suffering. If you scream for your allies, signal them, I'll..." I was going to say I'd spare her. But with Trojan so insistent that three kids die today, could I really promise that? "I'll make sure your allies don't suffer. I'll make sure it's quick for both of them."

"Fuck you," Willow glanced up at me. "You can't play the nice murderer. It doesn't work like that. You can't tell people you'll kill them nicely to sleep at night."

"You're saying you wouldn't hurt people to get what you want?"

"I'm saying I wouldn't pretend to be the good guy when I do," Willow glared up at me. "When I kill you, it will hurt."

Somehow, I felt intimidated. This was only a thirteen year old and despite having a good amount of fight in her I was positive she couldn't beat me in a fight even if I didn't have the effects of the Victor's Vial. With the potion running through my veins, I could kill her before she could even contemplate picking up her weapons. I felt the power bubbling within me as we speak.

I removed a knife, the naked silver of the blade revealing itself before Willow's eyes. Once again, she refused to even look alarmed. She was too stubborn to show me weakness. I didn't want to hurt her, but Trojan would be expecting me to. Trojan's plan was a good one.

"I'm giving you a final chance," I almost whispered, my hands shaking. "I know you care about your allies-"

"Which is why I won't be calling them into a death trap."

"Well you care about yourself," I retorted. "I'm telling you to feign a pained scream. If you don't fake it, I'm going to make sure that it's genuine."

Willow didn't reply for a second. Her face was eclipsed with doubt and terror for a brief second, as if she'd managed to comprehend the compromising position that she was in. Her bottom lip trembled for a second and I realised just how much of a kid she actually was. She didn't fight, she was probably smart enough to know that there was no escape. As the music in the background reached a climax - a powerful, bone chilling crescendo, Willow's face grew resolute once again. Her eyes flickered up to mine, and she smirked challengingly.

"Fucking do it," she hissed. "I'm not letting you win."

She didn't realise that no matter what happened Trojan and I were going to win. It was almost sad, though I acknowledged I'd much rather be in my shoes than hers. And yet this was so hard. I didn't want to do this. I stepped towards her and taking the plunge I jabbed the knife into her side; I made sure it wasn't a fatal wound, but I also made sure that the knife buried deep and provoked an immediate reaction.

It did. Willow screamed in pain as the knife embraced her; a horrid squealching noise was audible as it sucked through her skin, and then the noise of blood spraying out, dyeing the floor below, was heard. She writhed and I purposely twisted the knife, forcing the child to tremble and scream bloody murder. It was just the kind of signal we needed. Her screams melded with the climax of the piano's dark song perfectly. I pulled the knife away, bits of her stringy flesh dangling from it as she still writhed and shrieked, evidently failing to withhold her pain.

Then the music stopped. The sound of doors creaking were heard.

I immediately felt my stomach drop. This was it. This was the moment.

I turned around to face the Eight tributes.

Mirane Saffell, District 8, 17

I was good at acting confident. I was good at acting. And yet I had to find myself acting harder than ever. There was always danger in the Games. I'd faced Careers, mutts and a raging psychopath who'd killed my ally. But this, for me, was the moment of truth. I'd never felt more in danger than how I'd felt entering the ballroom where Willow's screams radiated from, Darius by my side. She was right in the middle of the circular ballroom, screaming as the Six boy had buried a knife in her side. Directly above her was a chandelier which had a canopy of crystals falling from it. It wasn't as big as the one in the Bloodbath, but it was still mighty impressive.

I stormed in with a false cool, smirking at the Six boy.

The room was circular, the top floor also circular with a balcony around the rim. The room circling around us had multiple columns. It seemed like a prison of marble; I couldn't see anything else, bar the eerily silent ivory piano which was stashed away into a corner. In any other palace this would be a room for parties, for celebration. Here it was just a battleground which echoed of the distant ghosts of joy.

"I'd do a lot of things to survive," I palmed the gun in my hands. "But I wouldn't basically torture a girl." I saw Darius grab something and knew that the plan had to be enacted. They probably had a plan too (the fact the Three boy was out of sight made that quite apparent) - it was time to see whose was better. My heart thudded really hard in my chest. I could very well die today.

"I thought you wouldn't come to rescue her," the Six boy stood up, facing me. "It would've been smart of you to leave her to die."

"That's not why you took her," I responded. I wanted to leave her to die. They hadn't taken our supplies. They'd just taken this young girl I barely knew. But I knew Darius felt we had a moral responsibility, and I would go with him to rescue her. We were in this together now. If Darius made a stupid mistake that got us killed? So be it, as long as I was by his side. And, with our plan, I felt we could all come out of this alive. I needed some kills, and this seemed like the golden opportunity. These next few minutes would be a make or break moment.

"We took her for you two..." Seb smiled. "And you're going to die. I'm stronger than you are. I'm faster. And your silly guns can't hurt me."

"We know what can hurt you," Darius said crisply.

Seb snorted with disbelief. There was something not right about him. I think he was slightly mad; his eyes were wider than I remembered. They were yellowing. His teeth looked dirtier, his smile more menacing. But despite this physical change, I knew he didn't want to do this. He didn't want to kill us. And maybe a part of me inside didn't want to kill him. This wasn't on any of us, as personal as it felt. But I still removed my gun.

"I'll just dodge it," Sebastian smirked. "Maybe you should step closer."

"Don't," Darius snapped at me, even though I hadn't intended to. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it for what could've been the last time. I flickered my gaze over the calm Willow, who was struggling slightly behind Sebastian and was looking at us with wide, alarmed eyes. "I can see the Three boy. He's waiting for us to step forward into his aim and then he's going to pick us off."

Sebastian's face dropped.

"Well, looks like we're doing plan B," he frowned, removing a knife. "Sorry it had to end like this-"

Sebastian was quick, but Darius smashed the vial of liquid he'd made onto the floor. It worked as well as he had expected; immediately smoke plumes surrounded us, masking the whole room. It began to rise up to the ceiling and Sebastian was out of sight. I couldn't see him or Darius, despite Darius being right next to me. Everywhere I only saw smoke. Everybody bar Darius and Trojan was going to be the blind one now.

"Run straight ahead," Darius whispered, I heard Sebastian blindly charging towards us. "I'll take him, you take out the gunman."

I began running through the smoke, feeling it split around me. There was the sound of some kind of commotion behind me, but I couldn't look back. I eventually reached a stairway, almost tripping onto it. For good measure I clung onto the bannister and carefully rushed up it, hearing bullets fire and smash the marble stairs around me. As soon as I reached the top I could see again; the second floor was also circular, lined with small crevices where statues habituated. Across one of the halls was Trojan, who had a shotgun aimed right in my direction.

I threw myself down behind the bannsister as a crack filled the air, the noise was extremely loud. Beneath I couldn't see what was happening, I could just see a thick curtain of smoke. Trying not to worry for Darius or Willow I threw myself up, screaming as I fired the gun. Trojan ducked as the statue's nose behind him was blown off. He mirrored me, rising from behind the bannister and aiming. I ducked down, trying to think.

I could get to him, but I needed to keep cover.

Fuck, this was not going to be easy.

Darius Cortez, District 8, 16

"Where are you?" Seb roared.

I couldn't let him get to grips with my position for a second. I saw us both from a ceiling view, both silhouettes in a kingdom of smoke. He was turning around, looking for me wildly. If he had an inkling of an idea where I was he could crush me. He could run almost as fast as I could blink, and he could probably punch through marble with his bare hands and not feel a thing.

All I needed was to cut him, to get the dagger to nip through his skin and into his bloodstream. Then everything he'd worked for would deteriorate and the playing field would even. I was a few steps away from him, watching from above as he desperately wandered around and tried to find me. He angrily kicked a marble column, somehow splintering it. I winced. I needed to be brave for Mirane and Willow. I just had to rush in, cut him, and be done with it.

Swallowing hard and knowing that I could die, I took the plunge and rushed forwards. I jabbed the knife toward's Seb's back, trying to scratch about it. His skin felt hard against the dagger and I don't think I managed to cut into it. I rushed behind a column, somewhat obscured from my own point of view. I heard multiple gunshots above like fireworks. I could hear Sebastian stumble around as he desperately tried to find me, with no avail.

"Show yourself!" He roared.

I smirked. I could get used to this.

I rushed forwards, jamming the knife harder towards him. Eureka! I felt it jam right into his collarbone and I was immediately greeted by a hiss. I couldn't see it from above, but I felt the blood immediately trickle down onto my fingers. Sebastian cried out. As I pulled the dagger away, I was sure the wound he had would've resealed itself. But the damage was done - within the next five minutes he would be as weak as any of us, and Mirane would easily be able to take him out. Assuming she took Trojan out. I gulped at that realisation.

And then there was the fact Sebastian's arms were sealed around me, so tight I felt my bones compress dangerously. I guess now I'd stabbed him in the collarbone he was pretty aware of my location, which meant he'd seized me. Terrified for my life, I desperately fought. I just needed him to lose his strength and I'd be okay. But it was too late for that. I thrashed around in panic.

Sebastian gripped me, launching me blindly with fury. I felt myself soar through the air with an element of grace. Before I had time to scream I smashed into a marble column with such force that all my thoughts had halted. I didn't even feel the pain, though multiple sensations coursed through my body, barely processed. I lay down numbly, plaster and dust falling after me as I lay around chunks of marble. That was not good.

I couldn't see anything. Despite bordering on unconsciousness, I managed to tap into one of the camera systems mentally. From above I could see Mirane creeping around the bannister, trying to sneak up to Trojan. Little did she know Trojan was behind her.

"Mirane..." I paused.

I needed to call to her, to warn her. But if I gave away my location I was dead. I didn't think I could move - my ribs felt broken.

Gritting my teeth, knowing that I could be strong, I gripped onto the broken column and stood up. Knowing Seb was searching around the room for me, I quietly stumbled in the opposite direction, torn on what to do.

Trojan Reed, District 3, 15

I quite admired the Eight girl; I wasn't afraid to acknowledge an enemy's strengths and Mirane had many. I watched her creep forward, thinking she had cornered me, and smirked at how futile her plan was. She was determined. She was smart. She had spirit. Her aim was a lot better than mine, and she seemed more comfortable with guns than i did. But she wasn't going to outwit me or out stealth me, hence the reason she'd thought she'd cornered me but she was one step ahead. As she stayed low and crept along the bannister I saw her jump forward in front of the bannister, gun poisted in front of her.

That brief second of confusion was all I needed. I aimed my shotgun directly into her back.

"Mirane!" Someone screamed loudly beneath. The Eight boy. "Behind you!"

Mirane rolled sideways instinctively just before I pulled the trigger, blasting a hole into the wall instead of into her. She turned around swiftly and I tried skirting back into cover as a storm of bullets went my way. I yelped as a bullet slipped through my arm cleanly, blood spraying out. When I was safe in cover I glanced at my wound which burned and bled profusely. I had to do something about that.

Infuriated, I stood up and aimed the shotgun towards her, pressing the button down.

There was just a click. The gun was empty. No ammo left.

That was the second time she was lucky. Back in the ballroom, which was still obscured by smoke, I heard the Eight boy scream in pain. I guessed Sebastian was finally getting the best of him. I ducked as Mirane tried to volley more bullets at me. I couldn't defeat her - she had bullets, I didn't. But I could make an escape and kill everyone beneath in the process. Screw her lovebird. Screw the kid. Hell, screw Sebastian. This was a survival contest and unless I learned that everyone in this room bar me had to die I wasn't getting out of here alive.

I stood up, planning my movements in advance so that Mirane's bullets couldn't get to me. I swiftly leaped from the bannister onto the chandelier, which immediately groaned beneath my weight. Then I turned to observe Mirane with a single smirk. She aimed the gun at me but didn't fire, almost as if she knew that I'd planned something in advance to throw myself in the open like that.

Mirane decided to try and kill me. I leapt forwards as the bullet blasted, watching it smash into the metal chords holding the chandelier again. I flipped forwards with expertise, rushing along the chandelier as it groaned. Feeling the weight collapse beneath me, I used my momentum and leapt forwards back onto solid ground. The chandelier fell beneath me.

Willow Horvat, District 11, 13

Everything bad was happening all at once.

Darius calling out to Mirane probably saved her life (and no cannon had fired, so I assumed it did) but it gave his position away. Now Darius' face looked immensely bruised and beaten as Sebastian literally beat the shit out of him. Darius' sight gave him no advantage now the smoke had cleared somewhat. And all I had to do was watch my ally get pummelled to shit while I was just bound and in immense danger.

Then the chandelier fell.

I screamed, thinking that I was going to be crushed, but Sebastian responded immediately; I didn't expect him to save my life, but he did by flinging Darius towards me. He still had considerable strength considering Darius was flung through the air near-effortlessly, crashing into me and sending us both spreading across the floor just to avoid the chandelier's wraith. The most immense noise was heard as it smashed into the ground, creating a crator whilst the crystal decor that hung from it smashed into small, glass shards that wept across the cracked marble.

I lay there, still bound to the chair as Darius lay near unconscious next to me. His eyes were near lifeless, but he glanced at me and gave me a bloody smile, revealing that some of his front teeth had been knocked out.

"You're stupid," I whispered to him gratefully. I glanced up and Seb was charging towards us. He couldn't run and become a blur this time, and he looked immensely angered that his powers had been taken from him. He stopped to stoop down and grab a large, crystal shard that was on the floor. It glinted threateningly and I feared to think of what he'd do with it.

"At least we're both still alive," Darius said weakly. I began thinking an escape plan, rubbing the rope that bound my hands together on a lone jagged crystal shard. It was immensely sharp and worked, cutting through the rope. I couldn't see what was happening above but there were two more gunshots and the Three boy seemed to yelp in pain. We were going to win. I just needed to stop Sebastian, because Darius was too weak to.

Sebastian stood above Darius with the shard.

"I'm going to kill you," he smirked.

"No!" The rope freed itself and I sprang up just as Sebastian launched his hand at a weakened Darius, who lay at his feet.

I grabbed onto his weapon hand and desperately stopped him from stabbing Darius. Too often I'd seen allies die. I wasn't going to sit by and watch myself lose another. The miracle strength the Six boy had was now completely vanquished; he was stronger than I, but by gripping onto one of his arms with both hands I held him off slightly. I gripped my teeth, screaming as I desperately tried to shove him away. By this point, I didn't have to defeat him. I just had to hold him off long enough for Mirrane to come down and blow his brains out.

"No!" I screamed as he gained the strength advantage, pulling himself out of my grip. I couldn't let him hurt Darius, which he seemed hell bent on doing. She stepped back and I rushed towards him. "No you-"

My words were slashed out of me, almost literally. It was almost a lazy gesture, but he swished the crystal knife at me and I felt it tear through my throat. It was almost painless, like a shallow cut. But I couldn't talk. I couldn't breathe. When the blood started spraying from my neck I knew that something was seriously wrong. Darius was almost screaming in horror and I watched as the Six boy looked at me horrified. He didn't mean to injure me that seriously, but he did.

Trying to say something, anything, I stepped back and pressed my hands against my throat, feeling the flapping skin and the blood as it squirted through my fingers and my palm. Like sands coming out of a cracked vial, I felt as if my time was completely up. I was too scared of what would come to think. I thought I could wheedle myself out of any situation, but I couldn't wheedle myself out of this. I tried to be calm as I looked into the shocked eyes of my attacker.

And then I fell forwards.

Mirane Saffell, District 3, 17

As all the commotion happened I managed to get a checkmate. Trojan tried the chandelier ploy, an attempt to kill Darius or Willow, but he failed. After its collapse I shot him in the leg, watched him crumble, and managed to rush up to him. Before he could even fight me I gripped him harshly by his arm and forced him to the seat, slamming the tip of the gun delicately into his forehead. He looked resolute as he looked up at me, and then gave me the most nasty smirk. It was an attempt to try and prove to me that he wasn't scared, but I knew he was.

Suddenly a cannon fired. My heart immediately skipped a beat and I trembled. In that one second I thought I'd lost Darius. But then I heard his voice. It was still grave news - it was awful how relieved I felt - but I was relieved nonetheless.

"Willow! No!" Darius cried. "Willow!"

My heart skipped a beat. Trojan looked at the scene below, almost amused. I was suddenly furious when the reality of Willow dying set in. All of this for nothing. They had just killed a child.

I didn't want Trojan to have the mercy of a bullet through the brain. I wanted him to suffer. Before he turned to glance back at me I shoved him harshly, watching as he flipped over the bannister. For the first time I heard him give a shocked cry - almost a scream - of sorts. The noise of his fall was immediately interrupted by the sound of his head smashing against the solid marble. I couldn't believe I'd just done that. The cannon didn't fire, but I knew I sealed Trojan's fate. I held tightly onto my gun, checking it was fully loaded before rushing over to the stairway.

The scene below was awful. It was covered it blood and rubble. Blood had been smudged everywhere, but the two most noticeable pools of blood were by the still bodies: Willow's was staring up at the ceiling, the blood still leaking. Trojan was exactly opposite her, lying face down into the floor as blood slowly released from his head. Blood also seemed to be dripping from a live Darius, who was crawling over to Willow's body.

Sebastian had passed the large skeleton of what used to be the chandelier, desperately rushing to his ally.

"Trojan, no!" He screamed.

I knew that he no longer had invincibility, and I was feeling merciless. These people were child killers. They wouldn't spare us for a second as I had previously anticipated. I coldly aimed the gun at his kneecap from the top of the stairs and fired, watching him slump down and scream in agony at the perfect hit. I descended the stairs, ignoring Darius' sobs as I stared coldly at Sebastian. Sebastian's face was bloody and panicked as he glanced at his near-dead ally and then at me.

"No! No!"

I fired again into his other kneecap, disabling him completely. He screamed in pain as bone crunched and more blood splattered onto the already gory ballroom floor. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I just stared at him coldly.

"I hope death hurts," I said, aiming the gun at him with fury. I didn't particularly know Willow, but after everything... I couldn't just make sure that her killers walked around free. She was a kid, and she was a kid who could've probably even won. "And I hope hell burns!"

Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but I fired three bullets into his stomach. Blood splattered as his body was sent backwards. He tried to speak, but only blood frothed out of his mouth. He lay on the floor unmoving, staring up at the ceiling in the same way Willow did. His chest still rose and fell ever so slightly, but I'd essentially sealed his fate. It meant his death would drag out, which I didn't mind one bit. Holding back any emotions, refusing to show weakness at such a vulnerable time, I stormed over to Darius and looked down at him. My heart broke as I saw him cradling the little girl's still, doll like body, sobbing.

I didn't know how I could feel so weak. In the big battle, despite losing Willow (who was barely an ally anyway, really) I had come out on top. I'd just defeated and killed two of the most dangerous threats in the arena.

"Darius," I kept my voice firm. "We have to get out of here."

He turned, and I winced at the blood and bruises that covered his face. I hoped Sebastian really, really suffered.

"She's dead," he bawled.

I forced him to stand, hating how firm and uncaring I was. I just wanted to be anywhere but here. Darius could barely walk after the beating he'd had, and judging by his limp he'd probably broken a few ribs. I had to put my hand around his shoulder and lead him out. Of all five tributes who'd entered, I was the only one who walked out relatively unscathed. Darius was virtually dragged to the large ballroom doors, and it was a struggle getting him over the chandelier. As I reached the doorway I had to do it. I turned around one last time, casting a glance at the scene.

The three bodies were all completely still. Trojan and Seb's bodies were completely motionless, their breaths so shallow I could barely see their chest rise and fall.

I thought killing was easy. And even though I felt completely justified in what I'd done, a part of me inside felt sick - a sickness that wasn't just related to seeing the corpse of a child.

Darius was still crying, and he was injured. He needed to get medical help. He needed my help. So deciding to not look back, I used my feet to kick the doors closed and got the fuck out of there.

:( Why do I write for depressing fandoms?

Yeah. This chapter was pretty intense. I can't believe I did everything I did this chapter - killing off characters isn't going to be easy. Hopefully that was good enough to warrant reviews? :)

Talking of character death - there's been a few deaths which didn't get eulogies, so I'm going to do that now, before I move onto ones next chapter:

Magnus: You were one of my favourite villains, because I still don't consider you a villain. Deep inside, you were a good person who was dealing with intense demons and an intense history which led you to do twisted things. I think people expected you to be the next big bad - and I liked to think I surprised them by offing you just as you developed that potential - sadly, your death opened other gates and the ripples are still going to be felt in future chapters.

Lorelei: Oh gosh, Lorelei. I always felt bad for you. You were one of the sane ones in a destructive alliance and you happened to be caught in the explosion in all the worst ways. I think you weren't the most popular tribute, but I really liked you, especially because you were one of the most vulnerable tributes underneath the ice queen exterior. RIP to you, and little Alex. :(

~Toxic

P.S - This chapter is unedited, again :/ if there's a really bad mistake do tell me and I'll fix it straight away. Or if someone could point out a range of mistakes in their review so I could fix it up that'd also be pretty great?