Thanks to AstralKnight98, Tales from the Cluttered Desk, owlthewriter, ladyqueerfoot, Singular Scissor, dyloccupy, n3b, AlexFalTon, Very New To This, Dani H. Danvers, CrocodileReader431, Paradigm of Writing, Stargirl194, Cori Anna, & Skeekiest for the reviews! You are all incredible and I'm truly lucky to have you guys. You really help my writing, give me ideas, and challenge me to be better. Thank you all!

Now… It's time. The Bloodbath. I'm going to give the same reminder I give for all SYOTs I do:

Let's all breathe and remember that this is the Hunger Games! There can only be one Victor (unless you're hot shit like Katniss/Peeta), which means twenty-three tributes will be dying. It has to start sometime and the Bloodbath is that time. Since I've submitted to other SYOTs and have written three before, I understand how emotional it can be to lose your tribute and I've felt that shock too. If your tribute dies, I'd love if you stuck with the story till the end! Plus, it isn't the last word for that Tribute. I do the Victory Tour chapters as well from the POV of the people your Tribute left behind. Also, please remember that these Tributes were created and submitted by someone, but ultimately it's my decision what happens to them and the choices they make. If there's a problem, direct it at me and NOT the person who created the Tribute. No bullies!

With that, find some good music to vibe with and enjoy.

Chapter 17 The Bloodbath

Dawn had not yet broken when the Tributes were awoken by knocks on their doors or to Peacekeepers looming over their beds. A few Tributes were already awake when they arrived. Teagan was among them. There was a knock and her door opened, Olivia leading the way while Peacekeepers stood behind her. Olivia was solemn and firm as she spoke.

"It's time."

Breakfast was simple but filling. Even the Tributes with queasy, nervous stomaches knew better than to turn down the food. Once done with breakfast, the Tributes dressed and moved to the basement garage, where they were loaded into armored trucks and taken to the airfield outside the Capitol. A hovercraft waited for them there, as did a small contingent of Peacekeepers who organized the Tributes into two lines by gender and District before boarding.

"Excuse me?" Seph asked of a Peacekeeper. "Can I sit near my allies?"

The Peacekeeper didn't bother to respond, pushing the twelve year old onto the aircraft without pity. Seph was fretting as he sat down, far from his allies. He needed to tell them they had to run away immediately! But he could not just shout that in front of the Careers and everyone!

Once the Tributes were seated, restraints clasped them around the chest, keeping them in place for the flight. A Gamemaker came, injected their arms with a tracker and vitals monitor, and before long they were airborne.

Once they were at cruising altitude, the Peacekeeper in charge made his way to the cockpit, ignoring the anxious Tributes. He knocked on the cockpit door and entered without waiting for a response. "ETA?" He demanded from the pilots.

The Captain gave him a look for his tone but responded to the rank. "Just shy of five hours. We've got to leave the continent, head out over open water."

The Honor Guard groaned and let the cockpit door slam behind him as he returned to his seat. "Five hours." He announced over the Guard's radios.

The long flight wasn't helpful for the Tributes either, most of whom were squirming in their seats. The only times they were allowed to get up was to go the bathroom – with the door open and Peacekeepers accompanying them.

After a long, uncomfortable flight, the hovercraft began a rocky descent before finally landing. The bay door opened and a harried looking Gamemaker entered the craft, a massive underground hangar and forty-eight golden cloaked Honor Guards behind her.

"You're twenty minutes late!" The Gamemakers complained to the Peacekeepers, who shrugged and said nothing. Quickly, the Gamemaker announced the instructions. "When your name is called, rise and exit the hovercraft! A pair of Peacekeepers will accompany you to your starting plate. First, Tribute Elegance Jacobs of District 1!"

The restraints clicked off and Elegance hopped up from her seat, full of excitement. She went with the Peacekeepers easily. Cas followed, then Amaya and Pietyr. Hypatia, far less enthusiastic, followed, and Web almost had to be pushed out of the hovercraft.

"Tribute Maddie Monaghan of District 4!"

Her legs felt like jello, but she rose anyways and left the aircraft. She looked around the hanger, noticing purple robed Gamemakers scurrying around with electronic pads in their hands, many of them typing furiously as they finished last minute preparations. A pair of Honor Guard led her off to the side of the hanger and into a separate, circular room lined with doors on one side. She passed many of them, including a few with guards outside before they dumped her in one.

While the Hunger Games changed, their preparation rooms did not. A rectangular room with faux brick white walls and a silver metallic ceiling and floor greeted Maddie as she entered. In one corner was a toilet and sink, another a three panel dressing mirror and a large metal locker. In the center of it all was a silver starting plate, encapsulated in a glass tube that burrowed into the ceiling to carry her into the arena.

Her stylist was already there and eager to show her the arena uniform. To her complete lack of surprise, the outfit had a lot of pink.

"First we have the shirt. Breathable material, good for keeping you cool. Hopefully it's not a cold arena because it's pretty thin." Her stylists explained. The shirt was short sleeved, stopping just above her elbows, with black and pink horizontal stripes covering the tight fabric. The pants and hiking boots were black, but the boots did have pink shoelaces and her socks were pink as well.

"And of course, the belt." Her stylists said, putting it on for Maddie like she were a child. The belt was pink too, with her District number on the buckle. Her number was also stitched into a black box on the back of her shirt under the neck hemline. The numbers were pink.

There was one more piece as well. "Not really sure what they're going for with this," her stylist said. "But it'll keep the sun off you, I suppose. And I guess it does add an air of mystery if you keep the hood up."

The least bit was an atrocious looking light pink, hooded cloak that went about half way down her back. Eerily, Maddie thought that the shade of pink looked like human flesh. Despite what the hood implied, Maddie noted that this outfit wasn't designed for stealth. The pink would insure they stood out everywhere.

'No way to hide.' She thought.

"Unfortunately, you're not getting any goodies on your belt this year, so make sure to snag something from the Cornucopia!" Her stylists continued. "Oh! One interesting thing of note, none of your clothing does particularly well with water. Not sure why, but the material doesn't dry quickly. So, you know, avoid water unless you like having soggy clothes. The Gamemakers were very insistent that we tell you all that, so don't say I didn't warn you!"

That was the least of her concerns. The timer was moving quickly, having to make up for the Tributes being late on arrival. The stylists was gushing about how exciting it all was and how his siblings back in the Capitol were jealous that he was here. "If I could, I'd take a photo with you, but the Peacekeepers were pretty clear that's not allowed. I guess I'll get one when you're Victor, yes?"

"Sure." Maddie managed.

It wasn't long until an intercom interrupted them and she was instructed to step on the starting plate. She felt like she was back at the Reaping. She walked on it without fuss, like she had been trained to do, and didn't even flinch as the capsule doors sealed behind her.

"The odds are in your favor!" Maddie's stylist encouraged as the plate started to rise. Soon the stylist and room were out of sight and moving up through darkness. Would this be her future? Darkness forever? Joining her brother and the hundreds of other Tributes who had gone before her?

'You can do this, Maddie.' She told herself.

She didn't believe herself for a second.

All too soon, the doors above her opened and light flooded in. Maddie was blinded as she ascended entered the arena, where the cheers of a jubilant crowd in the Capitol were broadcasted in for effect. As she got her bearings, warm, hot air blew through her, bringing with it the scent of…

'Is that sugar?' She thought.

She opened her eyes. Surrounding her were twenty-three Tributes in a circle around a pink Cornucopia, black rock underneath them and bags and weapons scattered throughout. When she looked around, she saw ocean as far as the eye could see and, in two opposite directions, two islands.

Over the cheers of the crowd, Claudius Templesmith's voice blared out.

"Let the 59th annual Hunger Games begin! And Tributes… may the odds be ever in your favor!'

A holographic timer materialized over the Cornucopia, a digitized sixty turning to fifty-nine with a deep, computerized voice counting down the seconds until the Tributes were allowed to leap from their plates.

… 60…

… 59…

… 58…

The Tributes were all looking around, adjusting to their foreign surroundings. It was an arena of light and color. The sun was beating down from above, shining through scattered clouds that were a mix of pink and purple. A breeze flowed through the arena, a wind that carried a tang of sweetness or salt depending on which direction it blew.

… 51…

… 50…

… 49…

The Tributes and Cornucopia were on a black rock mesa. Carved into the jet black rock were two ramps, which curved around and each connected to a different twisting sandbars. The sandbars shot off in opposite directions towards wildly different isles. The majority of the arena was water though, which lapped against large, jagged chunks of obsidian beneath the starting plates. The water was clear so the Tributes could see the seabed, but on the surface was a thick, oily film. As sunlight hit the oil, a rainbow of color would erupt in the flashes of light.

… 46…

… 45…

… 44…

From a bird's eye point of view, the arena landscape was shaped like an "S" with an isle breaking through the rainbow waters on each tip. The Cornucopia was smack in the middle of that figure, while a twisting sandbar of black sand and rock connected it all. To the north was a black rock volcano. The base surrounding it was colorful, a jungle of many dazzling, unnatural hues, the branches and vibrant leafs of the trees tightly packed together. From the volcano, a lazy stream of smoke that glittered in the light came forth. The wind that blew from that direction smelled of sweets and confections the Tributes had gorged themselves on since the Reaping.

… 39…

… 38…

… 37…

The isle to the south had the same topography, but radically different aesthetic. A mess of dried, dead tress choked the isle, a light haze obscuring parts of it. Dark smoke leaked from its volcano, the wind carrying the scents of salt and sour irritation on the eyes.

… 32…

… 31…

… 30…

Hypatia's heart sank as she looked around. Judging by the bizarre colors, this would be one of the zanier, "unique" arenas. It'd been some time since the Capitol had used one. She was directly in front of the mouth of the Cornucopia, the boy from 9 on her right and – distressing – the psycho from 7 on her left. She had no idea what the arena would hold. She needed to run in and get the hell out. Quickly.

… 29…

Darley thought his position was alright. Wolf wasn't too far, a few over to his left. Next to him was the quiet girl from 3 and the twelve year old from 5. No immediate danger. He'd hang back and meet up with Wolf, who could fight their way through to a pack.

… 28…

Seph kept reminding himself that Olivia told him not to run in, but nerves were getting to him. He never got a chance to tell his allies that Olivia would help them! His allies would be running in! 'I have to be brave too!' Seph thought, 'Like Simon and Ray and Lily and Klara would be!'

… 27…

Ash could not believe that he was next to freaking Ophelia. The one good thing was that Seph was on his left. The rest was all bad. The arena seemed weird, the weapons prominent and sharp, and his allies mostly spread out. They just had to meet up and everything would be ok!

… 26…

Ophelia was trying to be cool, but her nerves were frayed. Her skin was crawling as she looked between the two isles. She had no idea what was in the arena or if there was even food to foraged. The vast ocean was particularly intimidating having spent her whole life around forests. It may hurt her, but one benefit was that the exit ramp towards the dark isle was right behind her. She'd flee and hope for the best.

… 25…

Amaya was taking stock of the Tributes, her face a mask of dispassion. She would worry about analyzing the arena later. She could see one alliance going one way, another the opposite. She could see who would be brave and who would flee. She just needed one kill to get off on a good foot. Her eyes settled on her target. 'I'll out sneak the sneak.' She thought.

… 24…

Calen was pissed to be directly next to the girl from 2. She wasn't paying attention to him though so that was a positive. Tilly was close too, only a few over on his right. They would have to run in and be quick before fleeing. For the first time in a while, Calen let his guard down and allowed anger to boil over like his brother instructed him. He was letting the embers flare and take him.

… 23…

Web was surprised to feel calm as the countdown got closer to zero. Worryingly, this arena was all nature. He needed a bag. Nobody would be sending him sponsor money and he wouldn't last long without supplies. In moments of pressure, he always did well. Hopefully today would be no exception.

… 22…

Sierra's allies were spread out and she was next to a Career. Not a great start and she was panicking. The Career was Nicola, the boy from 4, who seemed the least dangerous of the Careers besides his partner. Greta and Oscar were on the opposite side her, Ash and Seph a little closer. She'd have to run around a lot of Tributes to get to them and stick to the plan. 'Strength in numbers.' She told herself.

… 21…

Nicola had his eyes fixed on one thing only. A short sword, perfect for him, was placed directly in front of him. He'd snag it and pick up a kill or two. He looked around at who would make a good first target. There were options, but the nearby girl from 11 seemed best. Briefly, he looked behind him at the ocean, angered to see it. 'Of course they put an ocean in my Hunger Games.' He thought bitterly.

… 20…

Blakely felt the dark, dead forest isle calling to her, but the pink outfit would be horrible for it. The colorful, sugary smelling side would be better for hiding. A little distance away, a machete and a bag were also calling to her. The light shined off the metal of the blade like a beacon. She'd hang back at first and see what the Careers would do before rushing in.

… 19…

Tilly was in a horrible position surrounded by Careers. The boy from 4, only two plates to her left, was eyeing her too. She breathed in and then out, thinking about her siblings. 'Don't make them watch me die!' Tilly prayed, though to who or what she wasn't sure.

… 18…

Raveni knew that some people found calm before death. He hoped that wasn't what he was feeling. He noticed the beautiful sky and the light of the sun as it hit the the waves. It wasn't a horrible place to die, he supposed. Focusing his mind, Raveni saw a nearby bag. That was his goal.

… 17…

Cas was shaking with anticipation, so much so that his cocky appearance couldn't sustain itself. He felt giddy like a child. A lifetime of hard work had brought him here and now it was up to him to cross the finish line. Near the back side of the Cornucopia, Cas spotted several links of chakrams. He wasn't worried about reaching them. Who'd be crazy enough to challenge a Career?

… 16…

Pietyr was huffing and puffing with rage. A lifetime of edging towards this moment and the stupid clock wasn't going fast enough. He thumped his chest hard and screamed up at the sky. "Come on!" He roared as the clock ticked down.

… 15…

Teagan twitched nervously as the brute from 2 screamed to her left. The exit was to her right, a ramp leading towards the forest of color. She was running towards it immediately, hopeful that Olivia could keep her promise.

… 14…

Dallis was sweating through her clothes, aware of the eyes on her. There was one saving grace, the ramp off was right behind her. 'Screw it! I'll figure things out once I get the hell out of here!' she fretted.

… 13…

Diesel knew Dallis wasn't paying him a lick of attention. She would sprint away and, thus, so would he. Hopefully they could find food in the wild. 'Better than being meat for the Careers.' He thought, heart racing.

… 12…

Elegance was calm and in control, eyes fixed firmly on a pole axe. She would have gone for the hammer but it was further away and there were already some targets she had in mind. Looking at the placement of the weapons, she was willing to bet her allies would be there too. A true Bloodbath would unfold shortly.

… 11…

Oscar couldn't even see where Sierra was, hidden behind the Cornucopia. His position wasn't awful, he was near his allies and the Careers were mostly away. Except for Elegance. He couldn't help the yelp that came when the timer hit ten.

… 10…

Wolf grunted as the final ten seconds ticked down. His eyes were shifting between Darley and a nearby pack and machete, desperately trying to get his ally's attention and tell him to run there. 'Don't let me die.' He thought miserably.

… 9…

Maddie was a mess of nerves. Nicola had told her to grab a bow and arrow and start shooting and not worry about anything else. But when she looked around, all she could see were kids with families and loved ones. 'I can't do this! I can't do this!' she wailed internally.

… 8…

Greta was projecting strength and confidence. All her allies were looking at her now. They'd follow her into literal hell and back. She couldn't fail them. The plan was set. All there was to do was execute. They were all fast. They could do this!

… 7…

Fest eyed the competition coolly. The girl from 9 on her left and the girl from 3 on her right. No threats. She saw a weapon, a small hunting knife, sticking out of the back of a nearby fanny pack. 'Start small, work your way up.' She told herself. She was prepared.

… 6…

The Hunger Games was ready. A circle of Tributes with no where to go except forward. Only Victory would save them. And soon, all Panem would know if they could do it.

… 5…

… 4…

… 3…

… 2…

… 1…

A harsh gong rang out and twenty-four children flew from their starting plates.

The annual horror had begun.

Immediately, Dallis was screaming at her partner. "Freaking run! Run!" She hollered, leaping from the plate and sprinting down the ramp behind her. Diesel needed no encouragement, and he took off after her, descending the black stoned ramp towards the sandbar that led to the colorful island. Teagan followed behind them, taking nothing but the clothes on her back and her wits.

On the opposite side, Ophelia was doing the same, running down the ramp behind her that lead towards the island full of dead trees, mist, and sour smells. Blakely was circling around, watching where people went. Meanwhile, Greta was running to Ash and Seph, collecting them, and screaming for the 10s to meet them.

Everyone else ran in.

Hypatia, quick as possible, was flying. A pack was right in front of her and she snatched it up, throwing it over her shoulder. Tributes were screaming around her, though the voices were too mingled for her to make out who. The packs were stacked in piles that partially obscured view, but she knew the way. She hit a left and started sprinting towards the ramp. A figure was running to her left and, unsure who it was, she panicked and broke right, nearly tripping over a bag in the process.

She saved herself from the fall only to run into the girl from 1.

Hypatia didn't have a weapon. And neither did the Career. She tried to move around only to be blocked. Hypatia screamed as the Career girl closed in on her and she ran back –

And into the boy from 2.

Saber in hand he stabbed it with such force into Hypatia's gut her vision went red. With an inhumane scream he ripped it from her stomach and tossed the girl back like a sack of flour.

"Keep up!" Pietyr taunted. Elegance, red faced, kept running towards the pole axe, not giving the girl from 3 another look.

The Careers were quickly coalescing near the mouth of the Cornucopia where most of the weapons were, though there were stragglers. Raveni, seeing an advantage, made his way in. He snagged a sword and large backpack and started to throw it over his shoulder.

A sharp whistle distracted him and he turned, only for his side to erupt in pain.

A silver circle, gleaming with sunlight and his blood, was buried into his side.

Further away, a smiling Casanova winked at him and, arms full of chakrams, took off as Raveni collapsed to the ground.

'Not like this!' Raveni pleaded.

Nobody heard him.

Casanova was running towards his true goal, which others Careers seemed to have in mind to. Elegance was at his side now, pole axe in hand and looking angry. And, shuffling along and covered in blood and face red was Pietyr, looking a fright.

"Hurry up!" Cas told Elegance, who turned and saw where Pietyr was going.

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Elegance spat. She wouldn't lose out to that bastard twice.

There was strength in numbers, but numbers also attracted attention. Greta, Seph, and Ash quickly linked up with Sierra and Oscar, everyone in a panic.

"I thought you were running in!" Sierra screamed

"Run in now!" Greta commanded, turning to the packs.

"We can't run in! Run away! Olivia told me to run! We have to run! Run, run, run!" Seph screamed, tears falling down his cheeks and his words garbled as he screamed over the other two.

"What?!" Oscar demanded, heart racing, but Greta was screaming for them to run in.

"Move it! Before the Careers get – AAAAH!"

The Careers had found them.

Elegance was first, charging full speed at Greta who was nearest to her and the known leader of this little pack of misfits. With a battle cry she stabbed out at Greta, who in turn screamed and dodged left as her allies stumbled backwards, Seph tripping over Ash and Oscar and Sierra crashing into each other.

Elegance, expecting the dodge, quickly adjusted her grip on the axe and pulled it in for a slash. It swung through the air, the cut so clean it practically sang. Greta, red faced and terrified hit the ground where she was finally pinned.

It was an easy stab down for Elegance, who got Greta square in the chest. The girl's eyes went wide and her hands gripped the shaft of the pole axe, her mind unable to process what had happened.

Her allies had though and were in various states. Ash was screaming full volume, their fearless leader dying. Seph wet himself, snot, tears, and urine escaping his body in equal measures. Oscar tried to take over, grabbing the younger boys by the back of their cloaks and dragging them towards the exit to the southern island.

But Casanova was already cutting him off. In the chaos of Elegance attack, he had rushed up and gotten behind Oscar and the others. When Oscar turned, he screamed as he saw Casanova with a chakram already in hand.

"Howdy." The Career began, mockingly speaking with the accent common in 10. "How are ya'll doin'?"

Oscar tried to scream agin, only for the sound to die in his throat. A chakram cut through his neck cleanly, splattering himself and the ground with blood. Sierra recoiled back, a scream of anguish escaping her lips before Cas, in the same motion as his attack on Oscar, spun around and slammed a fresh chakram into her chest.

District 10 collapsed, leaving behind two hysterically screaming boys.

Ash and Seph backed up, but there was only the cliff edge behind them, the ramp too far away. Ash was begging and pleading for his life while Seph wasn't able to form sentences. He grabbed hold of Ash, wrapping him in a tight hug, and buried his face in the older boy's stomach, only himself aware that he was screaming that he wanted to go home.

Terrified and unable to move because of that, Ash without thinking ripped Seph from his body and kicked him towards the Careers. Elegance and Cas, who by then had ripped their blades from their victim's dead bodies, encroached on the remains of the alliance. Seph was the nearest but, despite their training, they both hesitated when it came to cutting down a twelve year old.

Pietyr had no such compunctions.

Barreling towards them and screaming full volume, he fell on the distraught boy and, with one strong, swift slice, cut through Seph's tiny neck, decapitating him.

Something broke in Ash. The blood, the screaming, the blades. He was shrieking, crying out in a desperate wail for mercy and help. His face turned purple, no where to go as Elegance emerged through the tangle of bodies and violence to stab out. Ash's screaming stopped abruptly as the pole axe cut through him, slashing across the face. Eyes bulged and he stumbled back, letting out a breath. Elegance followed up with a kick to his chest, sending the younger boy bleeding, breathless, and blacking out over the edge and onto the rocks below.

"Hey! I was going for him!" Cas complained with a smirk.

"Snooze you lose." Elegance smiled sweetly back, feeling her competitive spirit come out.

"Shut up the both of you!" Pietyr shouted, already turning tail and running to find his next target. Cas rolled his eyes, whipping his weapons up and down, letting the blood fly off and hit the ground.

"He's just truly an unpleasant fellow, isn't he?" He asked Elegance.

As the three Careers had been butchering the alliance, Tilly had taken a chance and run in for a pack. The Careers had run south, leaving the north end of the Cornucopia mostly open.

Mostly.

She turned when she heard the screaming, only to see the boy from 4 behind her with a sword in hand. Without a word he charged her.

Tilly screeched and threw a pack at him. The Career easily caught it midair and threw it aside. Tilly grabbed another and threw, this time the boy sliced the pack, its contents spewing forth. Tilly was in Nicola's sights until he saw her eyes looking past him, over his shoulder.

He turned fast, but not fast enough as a bag slammed into his shoulder, throwing him off balance.

Calen had come to Tilly's rescue.

Calen was taller than Nicola but no where near as muscled. Nicola was able to stagger and catch himself before rounding on Calen for an attack. But Tilly had Calen's back as he had her's. With another pack from the pile, she grabbed its strap and slammed the heavy body into Nicola's head. It wasn't hard enough to daze him, but Calen's fist was. It slammed into Nicola's jaw, a crunch as it connected. Calen shouted in pain while Nicola lost his grip on his sword. Off balance, Tilly was able to grab the older, taller Career by his cloak and fling him to the ground. Nicola landed with a thud, in absolute shock and dazed by the turn of events.

"Let's go!" Tilly ordered, grabbing another pack and tossing it to Calen. He caught it, but a glint caught his eye.

The sword was free now. It was his for the taking, but Nicola was rapidly regaining his senses.

He reached for it, hand outstretched and ready to grab it. He chanced it.

And was rewarded.

Calen snatched up the short sword and ran off, Tilly already in front of him. They fled the Corncuopia and descended down the ramp that led to the misty island. As Tilly made it to the bottom of the ramp there was a scream above her and a Tribute's body went flying off the side of the cliff above. Tilly didn't know who it was, but their body bounced off the rocks below like a rag doll.

"Leave him!" Calen commanded, grabbing her back and forcing her forward. Soon they were both running, two packs and a sword between them as they headed into the unknown.

Back on the mesa, Nicola had rallied quickly. His vision was still blurry as he watched 11 escape him. With a snarl he was up and moving towards another weapon to the left of the Cornucopia. He snatched it up and circled around, seeing through the piles of packs that his allies were finishing up with the motley alliance of 5, 9, 10, and 12.

And just in time too because the boys from 7 and 9 were fleeing. So was the girl from 7 who was already descending the ramp, a flash of dyed blonde hair all he saw as the crazy girl escaped with who knew what!

But there was Maddie, bow in hand and bowstring notched with an arrow ready to loose it.

She didn't though.

"Shoot them!" Nicola yelled at her. Her head instantly snapped towards him her eyes as big as a fish's. With a fury over his partner's incompetence, he chased after the boys. "Get your asses back here with our packs!" He screamed at them, running at full speed.

Darley, who was behind Wolf and closer to the enraged Career, cried out. "Wolf, help me!" He begged.

Wolf turned. He was the only one with a weapon, a machete, and they both had packs. Nicola only had a sword and was faster. They could try to flee but the Career would run them down as they were halfway down the ramp.

With fear in his mind but courage in his heart, Wolf met his enemy.

He charged past Darley and took the first swing. Nicola dodged it easily as it was messy and full of nerves. Wolf's second swing was better as he stabbed at the Career, who blocked the attack by swatting it away. The sound of clashing steel echoed across the area, and again as Nicola blocked Wolf's next attack.

Three blocks seemed a sufficient enough show to Nicola. When Wolf came in for his fourth stab, Nicola angrily hit it away, striking right near the hilt of the machete. Wolf, untrained, yelped in pain as the recoil ran up his arm. His reflexes betrayed him and caused him to lower his guard, presenting an opening. With an easy slice, Nicola cut through Wolf's side and brought him low.

"No!" Wolf screamed as he hit the floor, dropping his machete. Pain coursed through his body, searing hot and full of fury. He turned to where Darley was, hoping for help.

His ally wasn't there. Darley was gone.

All that was left was him and Nicola. Wolf tried to turn to meet Nicola's eyes. He refused to let Nicola see his fear. His last act would be to spit in the Career's face. But Nicola wouldn't allow him that dignity. There was a pain in his throat and suddenly blood was pooling under him. The world went dark and Wolf was done.

Nicola, satisfied to have redeemed himself, yanked the sword from the boy's neck.

Now he had a District partner to deal with.

With the Careers on the southern portion of the Cornucopia, Blakely was ready to strike. She had rounded the Cornucopia, dodging the glances of the Careers as she moved, letting their eyes settle of the girl from 3, the pair from 11, and of course the massive alliance they had just taken down. Now was the moment. She had a pack in hand and snagged a machete. Nicola was moving towards the mouth of the Cornucopia, leaving the corpse of the boy from 7 behind. The way to the ramp was open. She got up and was ready to run.

Suddenly her breath was gone, a stabbing pain through her chest taking it from her. She looked down and to her horror there was a bloodied blade sticking through her chest, perfectly placed to slide through her ribs.

In her ear, she heard a voice. "Not sneaky enough."

It was the girl from 2. Blakely was ready to scream but a knife flashed before her eyes and cut across her throat. Life left her and she looked up at the sky in horror.

'Wren!' She thought, unable to make noise as the blood flowed from her. Her last thoughts were of her girlfriend, now forever at the mercy of Damon and his wrath.

Things were dying down as Maddie retreated. Her legs were unsteady, and she stumbled towards the mouth of the Cornucopia, hiding under its shade. There was so much blood. But the screams… they would haunt her forever now. She had caught a glimpse of Pietyr slaughtering the poor boy from 5 and didn't think she could go on.

A startled choked of a scream broke her numbness. She looked up to find the boy from 3 inside the Cornucopia, pack on his back. The violence had cornered him and he wasn't sure how to escape. He seized a sword hanging from the Cornucopia wall and pointed it at her, body shaking like a live wire. "Cease your attack!" He demanded.

Maddie wasn't doing anything of the sort. She held the bow in her hand but had lost the arrow somewhere along the way. He was so scared, terrified of her. She couldn't take it.

"Go." She told him trying to move aside so he could get passed. "Don't let them catch you."

Web hesitated though, shocked to see mercy from a Career.

What he expected came quickly when Nicola rounded the corner. He heard the whole exchange and started on Web at once, who was pleading. "We don't have to fight! I can help you! I can offer assistance! Stop it! Stop!"

Nicola didn't. Web retreated to the back of the Cornucopia, a dead end. Desperate, he swung at Nicola who was in no mood for games. He knocked the strike away and drove his sword into Web, who cried out and slumped over onto the weapon. The Career yanked the sword from Web's body and the Tribute from 3 was dead before he hit the ground.

Nicola, covered in sweat and blood, turned on Maddie. With an anger in his eyes Maddie had never seen, he sheathed his sword and rushed her, grabbing her by her arms. "Nicola!" She screamed. But he wasn't listening. Holding her tightly, he pushed her back and slammed her into the interior wall of the Cornucopia, causing some hanging weapons to fall to the ground.

"Get it together!" He screamed.

"Nicola, stop! You're hurting me!"

"What is the matter with you?!" He roared right in her face, his breath hot. The smell of death was on him, suffocating Maddie as he kept squeezing her arms. "All that training and that's what you do?!"

"Nicola… please…." She begged, voice cracking.

For a moment, Nicola was tempted to kill her then and there. Put an end to her and the miserable life she obviously had been leading since she was forced into the Academy. The others wouldn't care. The only thing that stayed his hand was the wrath of the Capitol – and that of the Monaghan's. No matter how much of a joke she was, neither would like Maddie dying this early or – more specifically – by the hand of her District partner. And Nicola was willing to bet he wouldn't be receiving any sponsor money if Maddie's well connected family said so.

His blood was up, but he forced himself to calm down. He released Maddie, who slid down the wall, chin trembling. Even in the arena, her family's money could protect her.

For now.

The others had joined them. First Elegance, Cas, and Pietyr, then Amaya who slinked in looking pleased as could be. Everyone had bloody weapons. A promising start to the Hunger Games.

"What happened here?" Amaya asked.

"Just a scuffle. We took care of him." Nicola replied, though the anger remained in his voice.

"'Us' or 'you'?" Amaya questioned.

Pietyr couldn't give a single damn about that. "What are we waiting around for! Let's go get the rest of them!"

"We should stay!" Maddie said, steadying her voice. "We need to stay and organize the packs."

"Don't rich people typically pay someone to do that for you?" Amaya mocked, eyes narrowing as she began to decipher what had just gone down between the District partners.

Cas, who was one step ahead of her, also couldn't give a hoot about any of this. He had never felt this alive before and he didn't want this high to end. "Pietyr's right. They're right there on the sandbar! We can run them down easily."

"Sounds good to me." Elegance said. "But first let me get a hammer!"

As she ran off to do that, the others took stock of their kills. "Pretty respectable amount for a Bloodbath." Cas declared.

"Are you kidding? We did great!" Amaya said.

"Compared to last year, I suppose."

"Compared to any year!"

"Guess I'm just a perfectionist. Eighteen would have been better."

Pietyr was about to start screaming when Elegance returned, a hefty war hammer in her hands. "Finally!" Pietyr cried before taking off towards the ramp to the northern, sweet smelling island. Elegance watched him go, shaking her head.

"By the way, the boy from 8 is still alive. Sorta." She told everyone.

It was true. Chakram still in him, Raveni was crawling towards them, eyes bloodshot. Nearby, they could hear the labored breathing of another Tribute, the girl from 3, still alive. Cas couldn't be bothered. "Eh, he'll die soon enough. And I've got plenty of rings. You want the girl from 3?"

Elegance shook her head. "I don't do leftovers."

"Ooh, saucy. Then let's go."

"I think one of us should stay though." Maddie tried.

"We're going." Nicola told her firmly, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away. The others followed, eager to continue their hunting.

They left behind a butchery. The bloodied bodies of ten Tributes lay strewn around. The dark blood blended with the black rock beneath them as dead eyes gazed out vacantly, their bodies baking under the sun and the rosy colored clouds above.

Raveni remained though, moving towards one final act. The girl from 3, Hypatia… that was her name. Her abdomen was bloodied and her skin deathly pale, but her chest was rising slowly.

He crawled to her with all his strength. Blood trailed him and soon other parts did too. But after what felt like miles he made it to her. With a groan, she looked to him, blood dripping from her mouth. The end was near for both of them.

"You're Hypatia." Raveni said, voice filled with pain.

She merely nodded, fear in her eyes.

"From 3."

She closed her eyes, tears dripping from them as blood dripped from her mouth.

Raveni raised an arm, crying out in anguish. He grabbed his hood and yanked it from his neck. With a heavy sigh, he forced himself upright, moaning as he felt part of himself escape his body. But he was committed.

"I am Raveni, a Weaver of District 8." He declared. Hypatia looked at him, rapt in attention. "Your death will be remembered. Your life had meaning."

He cried out, coughing up blood. Tears were welling in his eyes. He collapsed, falling down next to Hypatia. Carefully and with shaky, bloodied hands, he took the pink hood and inverted it so the black coloring underneath was dominant. He then turned to Hypatia and placed it gently over her head.

"Be at peace. Know that you mattered. Know that you…" he groaned in pain, trying to get out as much as possible. "That your life was part of the tapestry. It mattered. You mattered. You always did."

Hypatia cried. She wanted to believe. She was dying without hope though. Dying without a father or mother or family or friends or loved ones. What could she possibly matter in this moment?

"P-pro-p-p-romise?" She croaked. A plea of a dying girl.

Raveni meant every word. "Promise." He told her. He took her blood covered hand in his and leaned his head in, touching forehead to forehead. Hypatia used the last of her strength to grip Raveni's hand. In the end, she had someone.

Her breathing stopped shortly afterwards, holding onto someone as she left the world.

A few breaths later, Raveni joined her.

Up next: Day 1 continues

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