Heat - Chapter VIII:
It was loud when Cato was killed.
Clover screamed in a manner so anguished, Foxface wondered if Clover really thought one of them would've gotten out of this alive without killing the other-
Or be killed by others- as Cato had been not even five minutes since the game started.
Foxface wondered-
Did Clover scream in grief?
In anger?
(Or perhaps was it in shame? Resources, time and effort spent on a tribute that didn't even last the initial bloodbath-)
(Killed by someone who promised they would kill him first.)
Foxface inhaled, trying to regain her bearings in the cave she found to rest in temporarily, willing herself to calm down and adjust based on the information she's privy to.
Clover wasn't incorrect in being confident.
After all, it was true that more often than not, seed players win. Careers, tributes from District 1 and 2, duke it out and the strongest of the bunch get fame, wealth and glory. The training in favored districts gave them an edge that the measly 11 days other tributes had as 'training' before the game started, couldn't make up for.
It wasn't as if Cato wasn't strong, because Foxface knew he was.
He really was.
After all, aside from going to booths related to survival, she had spent the rest of her time relentlessly observing - profiling notable tributes and well-
He probably didn't expect it.
To be fair, no one did.
Foxface fought to swallow the nearly hysterical laugh bursting from her chest, until only an aborted sound that could barely be called a whimper fell from her lips.
Solanum Everdeen.
(What kind of monster did District 12 raise?)
.
When the gong that signaled the start of the game sounded, Foxface's feet felt like lead.
She was running, Foxface could feel herself running - the sound of her beating heart too loud for comfort - however-
Too slow.
She's too slow.
Foxface couldn't help but think that as she sees from the corner of her eyes how Solanum Everdeen reached the mouth of the Cornucopia, easily keeping up no, surpassing Career tributes in terms of how fast she was.
Solanum was several seconds ahead of them. Not enough time to actually enter Cornucopia and get out, but plenty of time to snatch a good enough pack and still have leeway to leave.
Foxface grimaced, trying to stamp down the jealousy and lay off the panic attack threatening to swallow her whole.
(The only one that could probably match Solanum's speed was that girl from District 11, Rue. However, Rue was more cautious and much like Foxface aimed for supplies that weren't as contested, nearer the edge.)
It would be useless to compare, Foxface pursed her lips, relieved, as she got the pack she wanted without a fight.
Not to mention, the measly seconds that Solanum managed to buy for herself most likely wouldn't save her enough.
(Considering how the girl put forward a bet with little chance of winning - the odds stacked against her so much, Foxface thought what Solanum was thinking when she put that forward.)
(It failed to endear her to sponsors who would have supported her, if not for being too brash-)
Not to mention, the Careers she threatened to kill would most likely target and kill her instead.
That's what Foxface thought.
Then, Foxface witnessed the moment Cato was killed.
..
.
At that time, Foxface wasn't keen on running wildly and before covering her tracks, she wanted to get a feel of how the Careers would move after they set the Cornucopia as their base, so she chose to wait.
She hid nearby and waited, eyes watchful, cautious.
Taking note of key players currently in place.
District 11's Thresh have chosen to fight within the Cornucopia, getting what he needed then quickly taking off after, unconcerned with District 1's Marvel's offer for a temporary truce.
District 1's Glimmer was surprisingly proactive, picking off tributes who were too timid - too scared to use the weapons they managed to snatch from the clearing, laughing gaily all the while as she did so.
(Foxface didn't expect her to be the unhinged one. She expected something like this from Clover but her-)
(No.)
District 12's Gale was methodical and like the tribute from District 11, didn't hesitate to kill people on the way to getting the supplies he deemed necessary. He seemed to look for around before his gaze stopped on his fellow tribute, Solanum, who at this point in time, was being chased by Clover who appeared set on taking her down.
(The two were nearing her hiding place but not close enough that Foxface could hear what they were saying.)
Foxface fought the urge to tense to avoid giving away her position.
She was hidden enough, Foxface comforted herself.
(Relax.)
Gale pursed his lips, but he didn't interfere choosing to leave on his own as well.
District 2's Cato was brutal as he fought to secure the Cornucopia vicinity. Relying on his huge build, he was tearing through bodies as if they were paper. He appeared high on adrenaline, smile manic as he raised his sword on someone from District 6 before-
He crumpled like paper, dead as from far away as Solanum Everdeen put down her bow and smiled as Clover looked at her in enraged shock.
Cato was dead just like that.
How on earth did she land that shot?
It didn't come from Solanum's direction, no. Most likely why Cato didn't account for it.
It came from above-
Bouncing off the dome currently on their head.
How in the world did Solanum Everdeen do that?
Foxface pursed her lips. For a shot as fantastical as what happened just now to occur, one would have to take into account not only the force required to have the arrow maintain its speed after bouncing of the dome but also the angle, distance and trajectory changes after that bounce.
It was a highly improbable shot that shouldn't have hit anyone or if it did, it shouldn't have been able to kill, considering the factors required to make it work were too arbitrary, too demanding that a human shouldn't have been able to do it.
But it did kill.
And it killed the person it was meant to kill.
Then-
A sidelong look in her general direction.
(Solanum knew she was there.)
Foxface ran.
They were supposed to kill Solanum Everdeen together, Clover remembered.
They were supposed to kill her first.
There were plans to target her from the start. Cato was so angry at that time. It didn't take much for the other tributes within their alliance to agree.
He was so offended by the remarks of a slip of a girl, wearing a dress that somehow didn't swallow her up considering Solanum Everdeen was smaller than she was.
(Like her sister, Clover thought at that time.)
(But her sister was too soft and contrary to what Solanum Everdeen looked like, she was anything but that.)
Clover agreed all the same, because she can never say no to Cato.
But Cato was killed first.
She should have done better.
Clover could have-
She could have-
(What?)
(How could she have blocked that shot?)
They underestimated Solanum Everdeen far too much.
For that arrow shot alone, she deserved her 11.
No, not 11 but 12. If anything, that girl should have gotten higher.
The Gamemakers shouldn't have taken off a point.
Now look, they thought they had a chance against someone who can, in little time, figure out Cato's movement pattern enough that she was able calculate the angle and force required to kill him in one shot leveraging the arena's dome structure to ensure he wouldn't be watching for it.
Whilst evading Clover's attacks to boot.
She barked out a laugh, the taste in her mouth unbearably bitter as trudged on trying to stick to the plan, ignoring the wary look from Glimmer.
Look at that, glancing at her in disgust too.
Clover would have skinned her for that before, but-
Does it even matter?
Clover loathed feeling like this, but the feeling of inadequacy itched.
(It scratched just below the surface, making Clover want to peel her skin back in the hopes that it would help-)
(It would alleviate fuck up after fuck up after fuck up.)
She wished Everdeen just killed her instead of letting her go.
Instead of leaving her with regrets.
Clover overestimated herself again.
Too weak to protect her sister from volunteering herself.
(Volunteering to protect wayward brash Clover who so wanted to prove herself to their parents.)
Too weak to even avenge Cato.
(What was she to him anyway that she has to avenge him?)
(They weren't anything.)
Clover faltered a step.
(He volunteered for her-)
He didn't.
She couldn't go down that rabbit hole and entertain the thought that-
(Cato sneered. 'Don't think I volunteered to keep you alive. Stop being delusional.')
(He always was a terrible liar.)
Fuck.
Clover's nails drew blood, but she dug harder.
(If she didn't, she'll break down and she couldn't afford that.)
Clover couldn't afford sweet, venomous Glimmer seeing any sign of her breaking down- of holding up their little party of killing easy-to-kill survivors.
(Not to say that they wouldn't kill her eventually now that she was alone, but as long as she's still useful, she'll be kept around.)
She needed pain to keep her conscious.
Solanum Everdeen let her go.
Clover just had to make sure she survived long enough to fight back.
To strike once Everdeen's weaker.
(Please let her get at least one hit in before Clover dies.)
...
..
.
Perhaps one might think, when did Clover became so unconfident.
She got a 10.
She was a Career tribute trained from a young age to kill and win to give the district more honor.
Clover was raised to be a weapon.
If anything, rather than getting at least one hit in, her goal should be to kill.
But she can't.
It wasn't that Clover didn't try.
With grief and rage fueling her strikes, Clover hadn't fought as hard as she did then at that time. She tried her best to go with close combat once she saw her knife throws which should have hit were evaded in an infuriatingly easy manner.
However, initiating close combat was worse. It felt like the blonde girl was several steps ahead and Everdeen was just playing with her - humoring her.
All her training -
They were nothing in front of Solanum Everdeen.
(Clover felt like a joke.)
All it got her was a broken nose, sprained wrists and-
Everdeen patting Clover in the face cooing that she would let her go this time because she exceeded her kill quota for today and it would be too boring without her here.
Then the girl hijacked her screen to advertise herself to sponsors, offering once again a 'bet'.
Hah.
What a bitch.
"Isn't this a bit too easy?" Clover heard Everdeen ask. "I could finish the game now-"
(Right.)
(Ignoring the other Career tributes as if they were fodder. Not to mention the tributes from District 11 and Hawthorne from District 12 weren't pushovers either.)
"But then our poor hardworking, balding Gamemakers wouldn't be able to prove themselves now and nobody wants that." Her voice a singsong. "To make it interesting, wouldn't our dearest sponsors start betting on me?" The blonde girl coaxed, smiling gently. "Let's play a game."
A pause. "But what game?" she replied to herself.
Everdeen tapped her chin thoughtfully. The silence loud even as the other tributes continued fighting each other in the Cornucopia, Clover's allies more focused on securing the immediate parameter rather than coming to her help.
"Ahh. I thought of a good one." She finally said, gray eyes gleaming with something that made Clover's skin crawl. "How about a magic show?"
A beat.
"Tributes will die, and these cameras" she gestured. 'won't catch a thing."
Clover could almost imagine the spit-take the audience let out at that. Though, some might laugh at the sheer audacity of that challenge.
One of the Capitol's core strengths relied on their advanced surveillance system. It was the key reason why they, the districts, lost the war.
Night vision, motion-detectors, not to mention all the tributes were implanted trackers before the game even started.
Hell, the whole dome was controlled by the Gamemakers.
Clover thought-
Their district's sponsors must be pissed, since their favored tribute's death was apparently caused by a stupid girl with more luck than sense - her feat from earlier being overshadowed by what appeared to be as misplaced confidence.
After all, Cato was a very strong tribute, but for all that he was strong, he was nothing more than a pawn.
Her new 'bet' was against the Capitol's capabilities or in this case, a challenge for the Gamemakers, provoking them into taking action-
It was a very ballsy taunt that wouldn't do anything to endear most of the sponsors to her cause, as these sponsors weren't spending their money for nothing.
They want their tribute to win and make their investment worthwhile.
(Playing with Gamemakers was similar to playing with fire and Everdeen was dancing far too close with this stunt.)
(Even if she does manage to pull it off somehow, the slap in the face wasn't something the Capitol can tolerate.)
A tribute who made herself standout in this manner would keep their attention on her, but it wouldn't net her any substantial gifts, aside from those who most likely covet her beauty.
(Because Solanum Everdeen might be stupid, but if she had a saving grace, it was her pretty face.)
Clover wondered-
What was this for?
Doesn't she want to win?
As if answering what Clover was thinking, Everdeen looked at her, then said with unprecedented confidence. "I'll win."
Clover scowled.
Did she say that out loud?
"You didn't, but it's written on your face."
Fuck she's annoying.
Solanum Everdeen just laughed, patted Clover's head before waving goodbye to the camera.
Clover wanted to scratch her head until it bleeds.
(The feeling of the blonde's touch lingering on her head in a way that made her want to puke.)
"Pay attention to me, okay?" The girl requested offhandedly, as if she didn't know she already had everyone's attention on her from the get-go. "Keep your eyes peeled... or don't." She laughed. "It won't make a difference."