Arena 'Night' 2

CODA JENKINS (13)

DISTRICT THREE MALE

Coda hoped his plan would work.

As the bushes that concealed him rustled in the wind, Coda crouched on a slightly elevated mound, meticulously preparing his little masterpiece. His hands flew between gears, bolts, screws and a sumptuous feast of mechanical trinkets, working tirelessly to assemble his contraptions. His hands would occasionally slip, cutting himself against the sharp edges of a metallic object at his disposal. By that point, his palms were stained blood red from the effort, his face scrunched in an almighty effort to resist the pain that came with loose, violent electric jolts stinging at his fingertips.

If this didn't work, the pain would be much worse.

At the heart of his makeshift setup, sponsored ever so graciously by a 'lovely Capitolite', as Gadget had put it, was a small generator, fresh from the production factory by the looks of its shiny, polished casing. It mustn't have been cheap, but it was still the early stages of the Games, so sponsors tended to be a little less burdensome on the wallets. A lever was attached to the generator, covered in a mixture of dirt and tar to conceal it in the gloomy forest landscape. Coda cranked the lever. The generator whirred to life with a light sputter before steading to a soft hum, barely audible unless Coda put his ear right next to it. Coda got up and followed the long trail of wires that snaked in all directions from the generator, their dark green surfaces camouflaged perfectly with the earthy tones of the forest floor. Taking a deep breath, he began to position several metal rods into the soil, cautiously embedding them in several places where an unsuspecting tribute or animal might step on. He had them all placed in a ring around him, each pointing skyward. Once satisfied, he connected them with the wires to the generator. They would be his chief guardians for the foreseeable future. He marched over to the generator and flicked a switch. A glimmer of relief flashed through his eyes as a soft, metallic purr emitted from his electrical setup. Beams of anticipation coarse through his veins. Now, the trap was set.

As for the bait, well, this was the risky part. Biting his lip to calm his shivering body, he slowly lay himself among the metal rods, his backpack wide open and strewn in a heap beside him. It sat stuffed with several chocolate and granola bars, as well as a half-filled bottle of water, some rope, a roll of bandages, a water filter and a slightly torn plastic sheet. It was all far too easy for a tribute to swoop in and take the bait. Not to mention, they could easily kill him in the process. The perfect lure for the perfect trap.

That was, unless they came in a group. Or they had ranged weapons. Or the trap failed to activate. Then, it was lights out and bon voyage for Coda.

His heart began to race, his nerves tingling incessantly as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried as best as he could to feign sleep.

But he couldn't stop shaking. Fear gripped at him, holding him in a vice-like chokehold. Coda's fingers curled into the dirt, trying to steel himself before he accidentally rolled into his own trap or broke the illusion of a vulnerable tribute.

In truth, despite the mechanical protection surrounding him, he was still very much a vulnerable tribute.

The eternal night droned on, with nothing more than the distant calls of wildlife breaking the silence of the woods. The blue lights all around the forest had dimmed a little, perhaps signalling the arrival of nightfall. If this was true, then this would be the second night of the Games. If it wasn't, well, Coda decided he would pretend as though it were. Timekeeping helped to stave off the march to insanity, Neon had once told him. Aaron had doubted her at the time, but now, Coda did feel a little more relaxed knowing the exact date.

And every bit of calmness was a massive boost in the arena.

Just then, he heard a twig snap not too far away from him.

He froze, going as limp as he possibly could, biting his tongue hard to stop himself from fidgeting. Someone was approaching, quick footsteps trudging in his direction. Whoever, or whatever, it was, they had noticed him.

And they were coming for him.

Coda waited, his heart pounding in a raging storm of anxiety against his chest. His eyes were squeezed shut, unable to bear the sight of his potential soon-to-be assailant.

Time ground to a halt, the footsteps echoing in slow motion as the forest floor shuddered in their wake. Coda grimaced. Had they seen through his trap? Or perhaps, were discussing how best to transform him into a rotisserie human for dinner?

Tick, tock.

His mental clock compelled him to lay there in wait, as a soft murmur, that of a boy, whistled through the wind.

"Boy from Three."

Coda recognised that voice.

It was one of the Outlier male tributes, thank goodness, so definitely not the Careers. The voice sounded too deep to be Persey's so it had to be either Jotham or Kieran, neither of whose voices Coda was very familiar with.

It didn't really matter, though, because whoever it was certainly posed a threat to him.

So he was going to pose a threat to them first.

"Argh!"

Coda's eyes fluttered open. From behind him, he could hear a loud thud.

Then a cannon.

Then a wave of realisation dawned upon him.

As Coda slowly turned to face the unfortunate victim of his trap, careful not to spring it upon himself, his heart wrenched into a tight knot of horror. Suddenly, he had become exactly what he'd long accused the Capitolites of being.

Standing over the dead body of Kieran Achlys, Coda realised he had become a murderer.

OMEGA CENTHERS (16)

DISTRICT SEVEN FEMALE

Omega hoped this wasn't a trap.

Peering through a thick cluster of leaves, she eyed the dark cave before her with a wary scowl. Its mouth was wide open, welcoming them in for a good rest tucked away from the prying eyes of other tributes. But Omega knew all too well just how misleading such a cave could be. She'd spent enough time wandering through the forests of Seven to experience the sheer horror of stumbling upon a bear's den or the lair of some forsaken mutts left behind from the Dark Days.

And this was the arena, which only doubled the risk.

But, as Esma was rather quick to point out, there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

A literal light at the end of the tunnel.

A faint light shone through from within the cave, beckoning them forth with its heavenly glow.

It seemed so easy to follow its path to some secret treasure.

Too easy.

"It's too risky, Esma," she implored. "We can't possibly go in there. What if it's a mutt den?"

Esma shook her head, a tight grimace on her lips. "Ford told me to go in there. And I trust Ford. There's something for us in there, Omega, I'm sure of it."

Esma had a point there. Her mentor, Ford, had flown in a sponsor the night before, some arrows to go along with the bow Esma had swiped for Omega from the Cornucopia. Along with it, she'd sent a note: Follow the light.

But was this the light she'd been talking about.

For all Omega knew, it could be a different glowing cave or something else altogether. They were, after all, in a forest littered with blue lights.

It just wasn't convincing enough for Omega.

But Esma was more than determined. "Look, the Gamemakers want action, tribute versus tribute action. They're not going to finish us off so early into the Games with some lousy mutt fights."

That logic didn't really hold up with Omega, but at this point, she wasn't too keen on arguing. Besides, there was that lingering desire to explore deep within her chest, just that it was overridden by her desire to live.

But she didn't exactly have to make much of a choice.

The Gamemakers did it for her.

A rumble echoed from beneath their feet. Her eyes widened in alarm as from the earth, a giant black stallion emerged.

Only it wasn't just your typical horse.

This one had fangs.

And it wasn't afraid to bare them at the girls.

"Shit," Esma murmured.

A second rumble followed, this time from their left, then another from their right. Soon, they were surrounded from nearly all sides by a herd of rabid stallions. And some of them, for some reason, had six mighty legs, all the better for stampeding and crushing two Outlier tributes stricken with indecision.

"Double shit," Esma murmured.

There was only one escape: into the cave.

And the stallions weren't giving them the time to ponder their choice. With loud, thundering roars, they charged forward at full speed, their hooves crushing the soil and any poor plant that stood in their way as they lunged at the girls.

"Into the cave! Now!" Omega screamed, grabbing Esma by her jacket collar and hauling her into the cave.

Omega tore through the cave floor, her heart sinking as she realised the cave was taking them deeper and deeper underground.

Shit, this is a trap, isn't it?

She hazarded a glance back at the mouth of the cave. The stallion mutts were still there, but they'd stopped right at the entrance. Steam bellowed from their nostrils as they roared and whinnied, but they didn't dare to venture inside.

Omega wasn't sure if that was a good sign.

She slowed to a halt, her heart still thrashing against her chest. She turned to get a good look of the cave. In contrast to the dark, gloomy entrance, the cave's interior was well-lit with the same blue lights that were in the forest, attached on every stalagmite and stalagtite as far as the eye could see. The floor was smooth and dry, descending at a slight incline the deeper they went in.

And of course, there was that golden light beaming from the void, only here, it was much more intense, almost blinding her every time she tried to glance at it.

"I mean, we're already here, we might as well follow it," Esma said with a shrug.

Omega sighed, but she could feel something tug at her chest, beckoning her to follow Esma as she wandered into the chasm.

Maybe, hopefully, they could find something useful there.

Down a small flight of rocky steps, behind a corner, the cavern split into two. One of them was well-lit with the blue lights. The other wasn't, but that one golden beam was rather faintly shining from it.

Tough choice.

"Ford said to follow the light," Esma said aloud, as if trying to convince herself this would be the right move.

Omega nodded wordlessly, her insides screaming at her to just turn back and ignore whatever Esma's damned mentor had to say.

And she would've, had it not been for the voice.

ESMA CYPRUS (16)

DISTRICT SIX FEMALE

Esma hoped she was right.

She'd led Omega down this cave, searching for whatever the heck Ford was trying to guide her to. They'd been chased by mutts, she'd nearly lost her footing running here, and now, they were at a crossroads.

The light was right here, shining the way into the tunnel on the right.

So why was Omega staring so intently at the one on the left?

"Omega?" she hissed, jabbing her ally by the shoulder to faze her, but Omega didn't even blink. She just stared on, mouth agape, her eyes lost in a mesmerised trance.

Okay, this isn't normal.

"Omega!" Esma shouted again, this time with a lot more urgency. "Come on, we have to go, it's a trap!" She grabbed Omega by the arm and tried to tug her away, but Omega remained firm. Esma cursed. Omega was far stronger than she'd accounted for, and getting her to budge was no easy feat.

It didn't help that Omega was now steadily edging towards the cavern on the left, her unblinking eyes now blemished with red patches and flowing tears, her lips mouthing some lost, unknown words.

"Omega! Please!" Esma was now grabbing hold of Omega by the waist, trying to drag her with all her might.

And then, Omega struck her.

She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and jammed it right into Esma's thigh. The cave seemed to, even if for just a fleeting moment, condense into a sensory void just as the arrowhead pierced her flesh, time itself frozen in a moment of absolute shock.

Then the searing pain hit. Esma had never been stabbed before, she'd taken a few tough blows, but a full arrow struck straight into her thigh, tearing skin, muscle and even bone, now that was horrific. It was a full-on assault on every nerve in her body, an explosion of pain that boomed like a bomb blast from the wound and radiated through every fibre of her body.

Esma let out a cry of alarm as she tumbled to the ground.

And yet, Omega wasn't done.

With a cold, alien look in her eyes, she brought her foot down hard on Esma's face, sending a second jolt of pain that rocked Esma with agony. Blood oozed from Esma's nose, mixing itself with dirt and tears as Esma watched Omega move robotically closer to the doomed cavern.

"Omega…" Esma managed, but not even she had the willpower to stop Omega.

It wasn't worth getting another arrow struck at her.

With an almighty scream of pain, she pulled the arrow out of her flesh, biting down hard on her tongue as an all-encompassing, visceral roar of misery drenched itself upon her.

She groaned, rolling over and trying to get up, but her legs failed her.

Omega was moving ever so closely to the mouth of the tunnel now, and for the first time, Esma heard what she thought might've been luring Omega in all this while.

A voice.

It sounded like that of a man, seemingly close by, yet a million miles away at the same time.

"Dad?" Omega whimpered softly under her breath.

Esma gasped. Omega's father? But wasn't he abusive and tried to kill her multiple times?

"He wasn't always like that," Omega had once told Esma."He was really kind at first, protecting me from my mom. But that changed by the time I turned twelve. And he became even worse. But I still remember the man that was once there, now but a hollow shell possessed by a demonic monster."

"Oh no," Esma murmured. "Omega, no! It's not him! He's a fucking monster and a bastard and wants to kill you!"

Then, the voice shifted, to that of a woman. This was one that Esma didn't recognise, but she could just barely make out the words, "You will follow us."

The voices kept on shifting, and suddenly even Esma felt a small tug in her chest to follow Omega into the unknown.

But she couldn't.

Whatever was making those voices was a trap, a mutt designed by the Capitol to test the will of their hearts.

With her teeth gnashed and a tearful glance at Omega's now silhouetted form, she forced herself to walk towards the light on the right cavern. The voices were no intensifying in her head, speaking an archaic language that Esma didn't understand, but they had power.

Extreme power.

That tiny tug in her chest grew stronger and stronger and Esma knew full well that if she didn't run, she would be trapped in the same trance that had befallen upon Omega.

Forcing herself to mentally turn off every pain receptor in her leg that screamed for mercy, she hauled herself into a half-hobble, half-run. In the distance, she could see what looked to be a rainbow-coloured well, multicoloured steam pouring out of it in a kaleidoscope of potential doom. As she drew nearer, the steam slowly dissipated, revealing a treasure trove of supplies, including vital medicine kits.

Still, the voices clawed at her heat, her mind screamed for her to turn back and join Omega in her death trance, making her head swirl. Her vision blurred and she could now barely even make out what was right in front of her.

But she didn't look back.

Not even when the cannon boomed.

18th: Kieran Achlys (by Coda Jenkins)

A/N: Oh, Kieran... A poor, troubled soul who just wanted to be left alone with his boyfriend. Unfortunately, the arena proved too much for him and the cracks had already begun to form before the Games had even begun. But in the end, he still fought on, clinging on to a shred of hope and managing to (kind of) take down Ashton in the process. Ultimately, the unlikeliest of tributes would signal his demise, but he is, hopefully, in a much better place than Panem. Thank you to RuneWhisperer for submitting him, he was challenging yet absolutely wonderful to write about.

17th: Omega Centhers (by arena mutts)

A/N: This one was hard. I originally had Omega going much further into the Games, placing inside the top 3 at one point. I even considered her for Victor for a brief moment. But alas, I decided that her story would have to end here, falling prey to a hypnotic trap the arena had lain out for her, one that unlike Esma, she couldn't break free of. The intrigue surrounding her demise lives on in the haunted heart of Esma, and the tale of the swashbuckling archer who broke free of her family's chains won't be easily forgotten. Thank you to rawlimad000 for submitting her, I loved her.