Chapter 48:

Jory Foran, District Two, Age 18

Victor of the 123rd Hunger Games

Jory hopes that none of them are doubting just how serious he is about the Games now that he has only two opponents standing between him and victory, but he's sure there's a few. And yes, he's part of the blame and thrived on being the jokester in training. But two more kills and he will show them all just how prepared he was for this.

But even he isn't prepared for this finale.

He peers into the fog as he stands at the end of a rope bridge, trying to see the next cliff but barely able to see halfway across the bridge. It's felt like hours since he started walking around this morning, searching for the last two tributes. And not just any tributes, his District partner Talisha and their former ally Anka from One. Granted, he hasn't seen either of them since they launched, spread out throughout the arena. Figures that he would have to face two fellow careers in the finale. Guess there was too much outcry last year from when Lisia wiped them all out at once. Now that was fortunate luck to happen last year and not this year.

Jory takes a deep breath that turns into a small sigh that he tries to cover with a grin as he sets off down the bridge. He's so damn tired at this point and is ready to be done so he can finally rest for a moment, not feel like he constantly has to put on an act for the cameras or constantly feel on edge. Eight days is a long time to constantly be looking over his shoulder.

The bridge wobbles a little under his weight as he takes the first few steps and he waits for a moment, making sure it will hold before continuing down it. He thought for sure by now the Gamemakers would have led him to the others but instead they've let him wander aimlessly around the arena. He doesn't even know how big the arena is! For all he knows, he could be just going in circles and they're all laughing at him. Wouldn't be the first time, but usually he's on the other end of the joke.

Before he makes it halfway across, there's a sudden jolt to the bridge and he reaches out with one hand to grab the rope. With his other hand, he holds his sword in front of him as the bridge continues to shake and he hears yelling.

So this is how it's going to end. Can't say he ever trained to fight on a wobbling rope bridge but hey, he'll just have to make do.

Anka comes into sight and she stumbles when she notices him, stopping before getting close to him to turn back and hold out her sword. Talisha slows as she steps closer to Anka on the other side of the bridge, looking so much worse than Jory feels. "Talisha!" he calls out to her, grinning and giving a wave to hide the pressing feeling that he is going to have to kill her. He can't see any other outcome with Anka between them. "Long time no see. But glad to see you turn up for the finale!"

"You really don't ever shut up, do you?" Talisha asks him and Jory can only grin and give a shrug – well, guess he was proving to her he could shut up sometimes.

"You're both insufferable," Anka says and glances between the two of them, fear on her face as she comes to the same conclusion Jory has already come to. There's no way for her to get off this bridge alive. Not with the pair on either side of her.

"You know me," Jory calls over to his District partner with a grin, trying to figure out if they are on the same page. He raises an eyebrow at her in silent questioning and she draws an arrow, slowly notching it on her bow before nodding at him. He turns back to Anka, giving her a grin, "Sorry Anka, no victory for One this – what the fuck are you doing?!"

Jory drops his sword to grab the side of the bridge after she cuts one side of it, just before she cuts through the other side. Talisa lets out a scream as the bridge drops out, unable to grab onto it in time and she falls into the fog below them as Jory and Anka's side swings towards the cliff.

They hit the rock hard and Jory lets out a cry as he slips down, grabbing onto the planks and stopping himself from plummeting to his death. A cannon fires and he glances down, finding Anka climbing up the bridge towards him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he lets out as he starts climbing up, his feet stumbling over planks and hands beginning to sweat.

A hand grabs his ankle and pulls him down, he starts kicking to get her to let go of him. His foot collides with her face and she lets go for a moment, letting him start scrambling to climb up again. But the board breaks under him and he starts falling, colliding into Anka and pulling her down with him. She screams as she grabs hold of him and he manages to catch the bridge, only a few feet left of it below them. "Let go of me!" he shouts at her as his arms strain under the weight of holding them both up.

"Why the fuck would I do that?" Anka screams back at him as she starts punching at him as she grabs onto the side of the bridge next to him. It takes almost all of his focus just to hold onto the bridge but he starts shoving at her, desperate to push her off first, but she isn't budging and he's weaponless.

He catches sight of the knives at her waist, forgotten by her in her desperation to win, and punches her stomach to distract her before swiping one of them. She gasps for air and stops her shoving for a moment as Jory brings up the knife and slides it deep across her wrist. Her fingers let go of the bridge, the nerves damaged in her hand, and her eyes widen in fear as she starts falling. She tries to grab onto his leg and he kicks her off. He drops the knife to grab onto the bridge desperately, his arms burning and feeling like they're about to give up, as he watches her fall.

"Fire the cannon already," Jory pleads and lets out a cry as he struggles to hold on. His wish gets answered a few seconds later and his cry turns to a scream of triumph as the fanfare starts in the arena and the announcement is made, declaring him as the victor. The hovercraft appears and the ladder is dropped next to him and he grasps on, not a moment too soon, and couldn't be more grateful to be frozen in place as he's lifted up.

He did it… He proved them all wrong, all the people who doubted he was ever serious enough to win the Games…

And he just earned Two the claim of most living victors. He did it. Jory Foran. Let them try to doubt him now.

Hell yeah we finally have Jory! I love Jory, that's all lol. Glad to finally reach his Games! I've had his arena idea for a long ass time, since I started my FQQ stories, and here we are!

And look at me go, actually remembering to post this on Wednesday lol. Next up, District Seven finally gets a second victor.