Arena 'Day' 4

ALDER PIERCE (18)

DISTRICT ONE MALE

Alder had a bad feeling about this.

He trudged along at the back of the pack, hoping to keep a distance between himself and Maximon. Ronan's attempted betrayal had stunned him, but not because he hadn't expected a backstabber amongst them. Alder had suspected Maximon might turn on them, he'd been acting a little too shady for Alder's liking. Alder had spent his life amongst scheming Career prospects from the noble families as well as the seedy underground street gangs that roamed his neighbourhood in the nighttime, he knew full well the signs of a person who meant harm. And Maximon had ticked all the boxes, heck, when Ronan glanced at Maximon right before Fleur killed him, Alder knew Maximon was the mastermind behind that whole fiasco, a puppet master playing them all on strings. He'd tried to sway Alder too, telling him that Fleur was 'honeypotting' him. He'd tried giving Alder a slew of false evidence, none of which Alder ever believed, of course.

And he could tell even Quianna was getting suspicious, though she couldn't simply depose a District Two Career just yet without a damn good reason. It was the way things worked, Quianna might be the leader on paper, but Maximon held a lot of power just because he was a Two. Fleur had long ago told Alder all about Draco Hadley, the man who could control the entire Hunger Games if he saw fit. His enormous sway meant that should the pack turn on Maximon, the Gamemakers would not be keen on their safety, to say the least.

His brow furrowed in anxiety as he watched Maximon glance around him, as though trying to study his environment in search of his next big move to divide and conquer the pack. Fleur turned to him and seemed to sense his worries. Gingerly, she placed his hand in hers and gave him her signature smile, one that never failed to make Alder's heart flutter. Her warm touch resonated through him, filling him with a boost of positivity.

Sadly, such a boost was a mere fleeting one.

Quianna suddenly stopped right in her tracks. She held out a hand, motioning for all of them to halt. Alder obliged, his hand still tightly intertwined with Fleur's as he gazed forward.

But he could hear nothing.

Maximon frowned and moved a little to his left. Something rustled in the trees, though Maximon didn't seem to realise. Alder glanced at Quianna who gave him a knowing look. Neither of them was keen on warning Maximon of the impending danger.

A knife hurtled from the trees, striking Maximon in the leg. He let out a howl of alarm as Esma flung herself upon him and pulled out a second knife, one adorned with spiked jewels and encased in gold, before driving it straight through Maximon's neck. The cannon boomed. Quianna screamed and charged at Esma, who took off into the woods beyond. Fleur grabbed Alder's hand and began to follow them, but then a second surprise hit them.

Alder caught it from his peripheral vision a moment too late. He grabbed Fleur's shoulder and tried to yank her backwards, but he couldn't save her from the sharp stick coiled with wire that came flying at her, striking her in the thigh. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and jolts flickered through her flesh.

"Fleur!" Alder yelped, bending down to tend to her. But before he could do so, a small figure emerged from the grass and began running away.

Coda.

Alder grabbed his knife and charged after Coda. No one hurt Fleur without having to face him, not on his watch. Coda wasn't a particularly fast runner, but he managed to slip past thick vines and tree branches, meandering his way through the forest floor.

Alder gnashed his teeth as he picked up his pace. He was a trained Career, so it didn't take long before he caught up to Coda and drove his knife into Coda's back. The boy from Three crumpled to the ground in a heap, his cannon booming soon after.

As Alder made his way back to Fleur, who to her credit had managed to painstakingly disinfect her wound while he was on the chase, his mind wandered to how easy killing Coda had been. Coda was only three years older than Bianca and Katrina, well, technically two since the younger twins' birthdays were coming soon enough, and he had their youthful spark, now snuffed out by Alder's knife. He grimaced at the thought of mercilessly killing someone so young, but he shook it off. Coda had tried to kill Fleur. Coda stood in the way of him returning home to save Cara. He had to go.

In the distance, Quianna and Esma both screamed. Alder bit his lip. "Should we go over and help out?"

Fleur shook her hand, wincing as she applied some medicine to her wounds. "No. Quianna's dangerous, this is our chance to leave her."

Alder nodded and bent down to help Fleur bandage her injuries. "You alright?"

Fleur nodded, flashing him a perky smile. "Good thing about hogging the first aid kit is, we've got the best medicine in Panem right here. Give me a couple of days tops, I'll be back and fighting soon enough."

Alder wasn't too sure about that, but before he could protest, Fleur shut him up with a kiss.

QUIANNA RAFFERTY (17)

DISTRICT FOUR FEMALE

Quianna wondered if she was making a mistake.

Esma stared her down, her grip around that bejewelled knife of hers tightening. Quianna brandished her rapier, narrowing her eyes and trying to maintain her composed stance as the two girls circled around each other, neither willing to make the first move. Quianna gritted her teeth as blood trickled down her knee, courtesy of a rather nasty slash from Esma. She could, if she wanted to, go all out and try to beat Esma in hand-to-hand combat. She would likely reign supreme, but Esma was no slouch in the fighting department, it seemed. It was what had initially caught Quianna's attention before she'd decided on Alea in the pre-Games period.

Not to mention, Esma looked to be in the pink of health, a far cry from even Quianna who was rather bedraggled by the rigour of manoeuvring through the woods. Maybe Esma had found some sort of safe haven somewhere. No matter, Quianna decided she had to do things a little differently.

"You don't have to fight me, you know," Quianna drawled, a sly smirk spreading across her lips. "We could work together, you and I. I can help you out, we could come out on top, be a formidable team, just you and I."

Esma frowned. "What about the rest of your pack?"

Quianna rolled her eyes. Those two lovebirds were probably running off into the distance by now. She knew they would team up, and as suspicious as Maximon might have been, he'd been a useful counterweight to the duo from One. With him gone, it left her outnumbered and vulnerable to a second betrayal. "I don't care about them, they're deadwood to me, you're a much more, ah, appealing option."

Esma narrowed her eyes and Quianna could tell she was starting to consider her offer. Quianna's smile widened as she squeezed every ounce of charm into her voice. "You're stronger than you seem, Esma, we could dominate this arena, I can give you a free ticket into the top 5 at the very least. We can split up amicably then, and you won't have to worry about me unless we face each other again in the final two. And it'll be a fairer fight by then, I'm sure." She moved a step closer and Esma's eyes narrowed even further.

There was a short pause. Quianna studied Esma, but the girl donned a poker face that even Quianna was finding hard to read. Esma raised an intrigued eyebrow and she began to speak, her voice quiet and cold as ice. "Did you kill Ashton?"

Quianna's smile faltered. "No," she replied, trying to sound resolute, but she knew she'd let her cover slip.

Esma snarled. "Then I won't betray my ally, my District, by teaming up with you." Esma spat at Quianna as she raised her knife. "Rot in hell, you bitch."

Quianna grimaced. She hadn't wanted to engage in violence, but she didn't seem to have much of a chance. With a resigned sigh, she rushed to meet Esma's charge, her rapier clashing with Esma's knife as she swerved a couple of jabs by Esma. Quianna drew her rapier backwards, sidestepping a resolute blow from Esma before lunging her rapier forward just as Esma tried to send forth another strike.

This time, the rapier struck Esma right in the gut and she screamed, doubling over in pain. Quianna loomed over her, genuine sympathy creeping over her face. "Perhaps in another life, you and I could've been friends," she murmured wistfully as she brought the rapier down into Esma's chest.

The cannon boomed.

Quianna winced as she limped away, the gash in her leg from Esma's first strike still dripping blood down her knee. Her ankle didn't feel too good either, perhaps she'd stepped wrongly at some point during the clash, she wasn't sure.

But she sure as heck regretted leaving their first aid kit with Fleur.

Just then, she heard clapping behind her.

"What the-" she murmured, whirling around to find Alea, covered head to toe in dirt, mud and leaves, slowly emerging from the trees, slowly clapping as she approached Quianna. "What the hell, Alea? You've been there the whole time?"

Alea shrugged. "Was hoping you'd finish each other off."

Quianna sighed, but she couldn't argue with Alea's train of thought. "Ugh, whatever, so I'm guessing you're not here to fight me?"

Alea chuckled. "Nah, I've done my fair share of fights. Some damn mutts chased me just a while ago. Anyway, where to now, Qui?"

Quianna shot her a glare. "Oh, don't you start calling me that. Esma's healthy and well-fed it seems, she probably has a whole treasure trove of supplies, we have to go find it."

Alea nodded. "I saw where she came from before she hid in those trees, come on, I'll show you."

Quianna raised an eyebrow, but she didn't exactly have much choice except to follow Alea.

FINN AUSZTRAL (28)

DISTRICT ONE REBEL LEADER

Finn wondered when District One would have their turn.

He sat cross-legged on the floor of his bunker, the muted screen in the corner showing the live action of the Hunger Games, the stack of letters of correspondence with District Fourteen lying crumpled beside him. He'd spent the greater part of the last three years trying to drum up rebel support in District One, hoping to be the trailblazer in Panem's sparks of rebellion.

But alas, the people here were too scared to act, fearful that they would once again crumble to the power of the nobles and the Capitol. So, he'd been forced to watch as District Four's independence movement had been given the green light ahead of his. Not that it wasn't deserved, Marina had done a fine job uniting everyone from the wealthier middle-class citizens of Four to the lowly slum folks and pirate factions under a common goal of freedom from the tentacles of Panemian oppression. District Four had, under the cover of the ongoing Hunger Games, begun weaponising the masses secretly, recruiting friendly Peacekeepers to join their cause and setting up traps and pods throughout pro-Capitol hotspots and potential strongholds. The Panem Navy was now virtually at the mercy of a growing fleet of pirate and civilian ships, now armed with cannons and guns built with materials from Districts One and Twelve.

But Finn couldn't shake off the bitterness in his soul that his own people needed another to inspire a change.

He reached over and plucked out a letter from the pile, sighing as he read Oakette's words aloud to himself in the vain hopes that he'd missed something out.

"We will provide funds for you to set up sting operations and clandestine missions, but we need the noble system to be crushed before we can proceed."

The Coopers, Ashtons and Carmichaels were weak in influence these days, all fading away in the shadow of the monolithic Montgomery bloc. Finn had tried convincing them to join him, but they were too scared of losing their influence, desperate to keep whatever little power and riches they had with them, content on continuing with their abuse of the local population and their dissemination of Capitolite propaganda.

Finn sighed, twirling a pencil between his fingers as he tried to plan his next move. He'd successfully bankrupted a few fringe branches of the noble families and his insider networks were draining the families of a chunk of their money, but it wasn't going to be enough. His best bet at the moment was for Alder to win the Games, he seemed like a nice kid who just wanted to help out his family, his victory after many years of noble Career defeats could spark something at the very least, shattering all perceptions of noble superiority. But it could also trigger a rise in non-noble Career volunteers among those desperate to alleviate their families' poverty-stricken lives. Plus, Alder's family might be in danger if he didn't tow the Capitol line, which made Finn worry Alder might not dare to risk their safety. Fleur, from what he could gather, might be willing to turn on her own family in her own time, but he doubted the average citizen of One could really rally behind her.

District One needed a miracle, and fast.

The Capitol was going to notice the rise in illicit activities in One soon, the nobles were going to get suspicious, if Finn wanted to rise up and take down Capitolite influence in One, he had to do it in the wake of District Four's upcoming uprising.

But he needed something utterly disastrous to happen to the noble families.

And perhaps today was his lucky day.

His co-leader, Silver Faleoloa, suddenly barged into his bunker room, painting as she held up a dossier. Her curly hair was in a mess, drenched with beads of sweat, which wasn't normal since Silver often made it a point to make sure her hair looked immaculate.

"Finn, you won't believe it, we've got evidence right here that Monaco Montgomery's been hiring hitmen," she gasped, her voice trembling with excitement. "And he's been using it on all three noble families."

Finn's eyes widened. "Now that's something," he mused. It wouldn't get the Montgomeries arrested, of course not, but it would only worsen the ancient grudge between the four families, that was for sure. And when the families fought, they tended to be a lot more careless in their dealings. "Anything else?"

Silver's head bobbed up and down. "The miners of Saskatchewan revolted this morning, Capitol managed to keep it hush-hush, but one of our insiders got wind that they actually seized control of a couple of mines! And a bunch of material that was supposed to be shipped to the Capitol has gone 'missing'."

Finn smirked. "Wonder where those went, huh?"

Silver grinned cheekily. "Oh and one more thing, some Peacekeepers came to my office the other day, asking for therapy sessions. Accidentally spilt a few secret locations while they were at it."

"And you said me 'borrowing' the nobles' cash was 'unethical'," Finn chuckled. "But this is some good news, Silver."

Perhaps there was hope for District One after all.

14th: Maximon Vulcan (by Esma Cyprus)

A/N: Ah, Maximon, the sneaky, quiet criminal mastermind who is a prime example of actions speaking louder than words. He tried to manipulate the odds into falling in his favour, but alas, everyone got too suspicious of his motives and in the end, he himself was taken by surprise from an unlikely Outlier. He was a fun 'antagonist' to write about and kick-started a fair amount of drama within the Career pack and ultimately catalysed its end. Thank you to EvanPengu for Maximon, I loved his character.

13th: Coda Jenkins (by Alder Pierce)

A/N: I really had a hard time with this because I wanted Coda to last a little longer, perhaps even all the way. I even considered giving him a couple more kills. But ultimately, I decided that our little urban explorer from Three would meet his end here, though he did manage to injure a Career in the process and take out a strong Outlier prior to that. Coda never quite lost his desire for adventure and on his last adventure, he proved to everyone that he wasn't just another passive tribute who would bow down and surrender to greater powers and became a real threat in his own right. Thank you to chcolate for submitting him, he was wonderful and I absolutely loved him.

12th: Esma Cyprus (by Quianna Rafferty)

A/N: Esma was not meant to go down this early, throughout the intros she was actually my Victor and had an arc with Quianna. But then I realised she wouldn't want to go with Quianna, that simply wasn't something she would stand for. And after the Careers killed Ashton, well, Esma chose to stand her ground and fight for what she believed in. Strong and courageous as always, unfortunately, she met her end here. Thank you to Marie464 for submitting her, I loved her and I'm sorry she couldn't go any further.