Arena 'Day' 5

MIA KELLER (18)

DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

Mia was lost.

She was certain she was heading towards a riverbank, she could hear the gushing of water not too far away from her. The tantalising liquid was within reach and with every step she took, she could feel her thirst closer to being quenched. Yet, somehow, she'd passed by the same crooked tree at least twice by now, with the river remaining firmly out of sight. Maybe the trees were different and this was all just a ploy to drive her insane, but she couldn't see any signs of liquid water, not even a spring nearby, so Mia felt it was more likely that she was simply walking in circles.

With an exasperated sigh, she flung her hands into the air, groaning in frustration. Her throat was dry, desperately crying out for water, and she'd lost even more fluids sweating her way through this humid section of the woods.

"This can't be how I go," she murmured to herself. "Not by dehydration of all things."

Someone screamed in the distance. Mia frowned. Another yelp erupted from the same direction. Mia recognised this voice as Jotham's. She crept closer towards the source of the noise, hoping to find the river- and maybe even raid their supplies if she was absolutely desperate enough.

As she drew closer, she heard another voice, this one much lower, almost inhumane. Yet, she faintly recognised the voice of Tamsin Reid as she seemed to be growling threats at Jotham and another more defiant voice in Ceri.

Wait, why would Tamsin be trying to hunt down Jotham and Ceri?

More questions than answers surfaced as Mia peered through the trees, spotting Jotham and Ceri huddled by a river, Tamsin slowly approaching them, a sharpened stick in hand. Ceri was down on the ground, gritting her teeth as blood poured from her arm. A knife lay clattered on the ground behind Tamsin, though no one had seemed to notice. Perhaps Ceri had dropped it while trying to fend off Tamsin.

But then why hadn't Tamsin picked it up?

Jotham was trying to shield Ceri from harm's way, nervously but boldly standing between the two girls.

Mia grimaced, knowing full well she was about to witness two more deaths, which would guarantee her a spot in the final eight. An interview would be arranged with Alyaa, giving her a chance to earn some more sympathy sponsors. This was the perfect scenario for her, right?

Yet, she couldn't bear the sight that was beginning to unfold before her. Tamsin's eyes were unnaturally red, her face donning an almost possessed look as she manically slashed at Jotham, striking him in the shoulder. He cried out in pain and all Mia could think of was Alyaa back home, crying out in pain as the older Career trainees took out their anger and frustrations upon her.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She should try to protect herself and flee the scene, wait for Tamsin to clear the area and the hovercrafts to clear the bodies before coming down to the river by herself.

But it wasn't right to sit here and watch these poor kids die at the hands of a tyrannical Tamsin.

And it also wasn't right to sit here and let Tamsin go further down the route of self-destruction by committing murder.

Mia gritted her teeth.

In an arena of unending trauma and cruelty, Mia chose to be kind.

She leapt from the trees and dashed forward. Scooping up the knife Ceri had dropped, she rushed to strike Tamsin. Tamsin whirled around just in time to deflect Mia's strike. She let out a low, animalistic growl as she swung again, and before Mia could react, pulled out a sharp piece of rock from inside her packet and jabbed it straight into Mia's chest. Mia cried out in pain but she forced herself to steel herself to the ground for one final attack as she sliced Tamsin in the leg. Tamsin howled, seething as she dropped both sticks to the ground, limping away as quickly as she could from the scene.

Mia lay on the ground, her hand on her chest as blood and life began to leak out of her. She couldn't believe she'd let Tamsin get to her so easily. Perhaps it was the fatigue, the dehydration starting to take a toll on her focus. But as she lay there, a suffocating weight squeezing all the air from her lungs, she knew her fate was sealed.

Ceri and Jotham rushed up to her, shock written all over their faces.

"If either of you wins," Mia croaked out. "Make sure Alyaa is fine, alright?"

Jotham blinked. "Alyaa? Is that your sister?"

A faint smile crept across Mia's face. "Yes. Yes, she is."

And as her eyes squeezed shut, she made one final wish that the next generation of Twos would choose to be kind.

ITHACA EMORY (18)

DISTRICT THREE FEMALE

Ithaca feared the worst.

They had found a cheat code in the Games, or so it seemed. A fortified shelter that provided them with arguably the best vantage point in the entire arena. Not to mention, a slick piece of armour, made of a hard type of metal that Ithaca didn't recognise and decorated with intricate drawings of Panemian history and old legends.

It seemed too good to be true.

Persey was convinced they could wait out the entire Games just by sitting tight and chilling in their tower, guarded by the three rivers around them. But Ithaca wasn't so sure. She'd seen the recaps and highlights of previous Games and was well aware that when tributes thought they'd picked the perfect campsite, the Gamemakers would immediately strive to make everything come crashing down, driving them right back into the thick of things with some sort of calamity.

And the armour, once again, seemed like a deceptive form of protection. Ithaca didn't trust this metal, she couldn't quite place it, for all she knew it could have its weaknesses, or perhaps it was radioactive. Which was why Persey had chosen to wear it, not to mention it complemented his obsidian sword pretty well. If they ever got into a fight, he would be much better protected, but would also have the responsibility of being the fighter.

He seemed convinced he could take on the other tributes in hand-to-hand combat, though. Alea, he claimed, wasn't as strong as some people made her out to be, though Ithaca had a feeling she'd been holding back this whole time. Jotham wasn't much of a threat, Ceri was a bit too much of a wildcard and judging by the fact that Maximon and Ronan were gone, the Careers were much weakened. Tamsin could be a threat but she was probably in a state of severe depression and Mia was all alone with the usual fans of Careers against her.

Ithaca agreed with Persey's preliminary analysis of the remaining tributes, but she was still worried about the other factor Persey hadn't considered: the Gamemakers. She'd read all about Ruby Ashgrove and she seemed like the textbook definition of a psychopath. Her childhood history was, disturbing, to say the least and Ithaca feared they could be on the receiving end of her wrath soon enough.

"Chill out, Ithaca," Persey assured her. "Don't stress yourself out too much, you'll end up just like my musician friend back in Five whose notes gave him too much treble, get it? Treble, trouble?" He stopped mid-laugh and Ithaca frowned. "Hey, do you smell something burning?"

Ithaca shot to her feet in alarm as a flame burst from the centre of the landing, slowly engulfing the tower's walls in flames.

Damn you, Ruby.

"Run!" she yelled, bolting down the staircase. She yelped as her hands touched the now molten-hot railings of the staircase, grimacing as flames licked at her ankles but she didn't stop and pushed herself forward, Persey clattering behind her with his sword and armour. Once she'd reached the ground, she gazed in horror as the grass around them was swarmed by a raging wildfire. "Across the rivers!" she shouted to Persey. Sprinting through the gaps in the walls of flames, she pummelled through each river, careful not to slip on any wet rocks. Once she was safely through the final river, she raced into the cover of the trees and hid behind one.

Glancing back, she saw that Persey was being slowed down by the weight of his armour and sword, his feet slipping over several slippery rocks as flames licked at his armour. He screamed and Ithaca realised that he was overheating inside the metal armour. But before she could rush over to help him out, she heard someone shout, "There!"

Ithaca ducked back behind the tree as Quianna and Alea emerged, weapons drawn, ready to meet the exhausted, smouldering, bruised Persey in combat. Sword, rapier and knife clashed, but as soon as Quianna's rapier hit Persey's armour, the metal shattered, exposing Persey's chest.

Ithaca covered her hand with her mouth, choking back a silent scream as Quianna impaled Persey with her rapier with a determined grunt. Persey let out a choked gasp, then the cannon boomed.

Ithaca wasn't usually the sort to cry. But as the kid she'd spent many hours solving puzzles with went limp before her eyes, she found herself choking back a sob. Quianna and Alea trudged in the opposite direction, murmuring as they glanced at the burning rivers and obsidian tower before them.

Ithaca's heart burned with an even brighter flame of despair.

FLEUR MONTGOMERY (17)

DISTRICT ONE FEMALE

Fleur was determined.

The aftermath of Coda's trap still stung in her leg, impairing her movements, but she was absolutely dead set on making sure she could fight again as soon as possible. She'd spent the last couple of hours swinging her chakram around, making sure her throwing skills were up to standard and ready to be called upon at any given moment.

Not to mention, she'd admittedly spent some time letting Alder massage her uninjured ankle and shoulders. It was quite relaxing to kick back as he worked his magic, soothing her sore muscles with his gentle yet firm touch.

But she yearned to be able to get back on her feet and begin walking normally again. She'd always been unable to 'sit still and look pretty', as her relatives would put it. The itch to just get up and walk around in search of excitement always lingered in her soul and today was no exception.

"Give me another day and I'll be up and running!" she'd optimistically told Alder, though she herself was starting to doubt her capabilities.

Alder's brows scrunched in doubt, but he donned a forced smile, telling her that he believed in her.

Just then though, she heard a voice through the trees.

"You think the wildfire's going to spread?"

Alea.

But the girl from Five had always been a solitary figure. Was she talking to herself?

"No, there's been plenty of action lately, I don't think the Gamemakers are desperate to push us all together."

Oh, fiddlesticks.

It was Quianna. Fleur held her breath, gripping two chakrams tightly in either hand, preparing to strike if they drew near.

"Hey, I know you feel bad about Persey," Quianna told Alea in a surprisingly soft tone. "But he had to go, it's going to take you a step closer to coming home."

Alea sighed. "I know, but the kid didn't deserve to go that way."

"I made sure it was as quick as possible," Quianna assured Alea. "I know where I hit him."

Alder crouched down beside Fleur, sword in hand, ready to ambush the pair should they emerge from the trees.

A rustle of leaves. A twig snapped. And suddenly, there were Quianna and Alea, the former limping but still very much battle-ready.

The four of them stared at each other for a brief second, all gaping in disbelief at the misfortune of the encounter. For the tiniest of moments, Fleur half-heartedly believed in diplomacy.

Then Alea charged to strike. Alder met her attack with ease, parrying her blows. Fleur, meanwhile, flung a chakram at Quianna, cutting a slash through her already injured leg. Quianna cried out in pain but before Fleur could finish her off with another chakram, Alder howled. Fleur's gaze shot towards him as Alea pushed him backwards, sending him toppling against a tree.

"Alder!"

Fleur groaned as she struggled to her feet, hurling her chakram at Alea.

Unfortunately, Alea managed to dodge just in time. Alea raised her knife and just as Alder leapt to tackle her to the ground, sent the blade flying straight into Fleur's chest.

A cold sensation began to rise through Fleur's body as she crumpled to the ground. Her surroundings became nothing more than white noise, though she was acutely aware that Alder was screaming like a banshee.

She could only hope he would prevail as the world faded before her, bringing her into a new one full of newer and hopefully better adventures with fewer restrictions.

I'll see you again someday, Alder.

ALDER PIERCE (18)

DISTRICT ONE MALE

Alder was shell-shocked.

Fleur was dead.

But she couldn't be, that could not have possibly happened. Yet, as the cannon boomed in the distance, he was forced to confront the inevitable.

Time seemed to grind to a standstill as his world caved in around him. The love of his life, his best friend for much of his life, was gone.

And he would never be able to see Fleur ever again.

Reality hit him like a flying brick, smacking him in the head like a glass of frigid water. His gaze burned on Alea, who was now in his arms, writhing as she tried to break free.

Alder had no intention of letting her.

Fleur should have been the one in his arms at that moment as they shared a tight embrace. Instead, this girl was now in her place, biting down on his arm as though it would somehow make her fate any more bearable.

Alder wanted her gone.

As Quianna screamed her name in the distance, Alder grabbed Alea by the neck and twisted it as hard as he could. Bone crackled under his fist and Alea's face squirmed one final time, her eyes widened in fear frozen for eternity.

Quianna charged at Alder, hobbling as she raised her bloodied rapier. Alder whirled around and ducked her blow. He dived to reach his fallen sword and struck it upward, narrowly missing Quianna by mere inches. Quianna looked exhausted, her breathing now heavy as ever as she lunged again at him, letting out an exasperated battle cry. The blade grazed his cheek but Alder could feel no pain that was greater than his shattered heart.

He swung his sword and this time, Quianna's injured leg meant she couldn't dodge. The sword struck her hard by the side of her head and as Alder pulled it out, Quianna dropped to the ground, dead.

The cannon boomed but Alder could barely hear it. He rushed over to Fleur's side and fell to his knees. Tears began streaming down his face as he wailed in agony, burying his face into her cold, lifeless body.

"Fleur, please…" Alder sobbed, but he knew she was far gone and could never again hear his words.

The blue moon in the sky grew dark. A hovercraft was approaching to collect the bodies and Alder needed to get out of the way soon.

But he couldn't possibly leave his girl behind. He wanted to somehow bring her back to life, or at the very least stay here weeping for her. Yet, he was knocked away by an invisible force, forced away from Fleur as a claw emerged from the sky, ready to extract her and dump her into a wooden coffin to bring back home.

"I love you, Alder, fight on."

Her voice seemed to echo through the wind, the burning image of her in his mind giving him one final bit of encouragement. Slowly but steadily, Alder got to his feet. Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he gave Fleur one final salute before he walked away.

If there was one thing Fleur would want him to do, it was to win and make sure Cara got her medicine.

Fleur's sacrifice would not be in vain.

10th: Mia Keller (by Tamsin Reid)

A/N: Mia, the ultimate subversion of the typical D2F tropes, she gave it her all and chose to follow her own path and stick to her morals no matter where they led her. Forced into the Games as a reluctant volunteer, she never forgot where she came from and vowed to always be kind to others. And ultimately, she went down saving the lives of those who could not fend for themselves, just as she had always done. Her legacy lives on in Alyaa, who we might see again someday, and the kindred Career will surely have touched many lives around Panem. Thank you to MeTheFanatic19 for Mia, I don't know if you're ever going to read this, but I hope you know I truly appreciate you for submitting her, she's been brilliant to write about.

9th: Persey Fayre (by Quianna Rafferty)

A/N: Persey was a wildcard pick for victory at some points, but initially he was going to place much lower than this. However, the more I tinkered with his character, the more I realised that he wasn't just some tribute who would clumsily fall at the first hurdle, he actually tried to fight back and had the bravery to don the armour and carry the sword to begin with. And I think he was ultimately much stronger and braver than anyone back home ever gave him credit for. A great friend with his great puns, he was a delight to have around and quite the favourite among some readers. Yet, his story had to end here. Thank you so much to tracelynn for submitting him, I loved Persey.

8th: Fleur Montgomery (by Alea Korah)

A/N: Fleur... I would have loved to see Fleur win, she was one of the first tributes I received and I loved her right from the start. Different from the typical vain, snooty D1F tributes, she embodied the innate desire to get out and have some fun, and once that was paired with Alder, we had a blooming romance coming right through. Sadly, hearts had to be shattered and Fleur's adventures end here, though as Finn mentioned in the previous chapter, the Montgomeries aren't quite done yet and D1 will continue to feature prominently, and I'm sure Fleur's name will pop up again soon, especially with Alder still around. Thank you to Willuna for submitting her, I loved Fleur so much.

7th: Alea Korah (by Alder Pierce)

A/N: Alea was always a little difficult for me to write about. I didn't quite know what to do with her, she was a tribute that did her own thing and marched to the beat of her own drum and even as I wrote about her, she still refused to be defined and did things her own way, leapfrogging into everyone's storylines and making sure her name always lingered in the backs of everyone's minds. Yet, the independent queen can't rule forever, and her story ended here, after she ambushed the wrong tribute in Alder. But she gave it one heck of a fight, just as one would expect her to. Thank you to Marie464 for submitting her.

6th: Quianna Rafferty (by Alder Pierce)

A/N: Well, this was one heck of a day, wasn't it? To cap off the chain of misfortunes, Quianna's storyline ended here. Often the antagonist throughout this story, whether you liked her or not, you can't deny she made her impact and wanted to win. Smart, fiercely independent and unafraid to get down to business, she had a charm around her that made her both attractive and terrifying all at once. Alas, the duo from D1 subdued her and ended her storyline, but as a tsunami of fury mounts in D4, her rebellious spirit lives on in the revolutionaries who long to be free back home. I'm not sure if you're ever gonna see this but thank you to contemporarydancer2 for submitting her, I hope you're alright and I want you to know that I loved Quianna.