saving serena , finnick odair (ON HOLD)

chapter thirteen

Serena clears her mind to take a look at her vast opening. Her heart is steady and even as she stares straight ahead, at the infamous cornucopia. Sunlight glistens off it, making it a shiny rock of mirrors. She focuses her eyes under it, to look for her weapons. There's her spear. Two, sat neatly together. One for her, one for Blaze.

As the loud bangs of the countdown ring clear in the District 4 tribute, she decides to focus on the terrain. The land that is in front of all the tributes and surrounds the cornucopia is a swamp like marshy area. Serena imagines running through that will be difficult, so seeks refuge with her eyes on the platform the cornucopia sits on.

Serena let's her eyes wander to the left and right, to look at behind her. She's shocked by what she sees. If any tribute wants to exit the platform behind them, they have to dive into a clear lake. It's an oxbow shape as it wraps around the back of all the tributes until the forest behind the cornucopia. Behind the lake is a forest, with pine trees towering high and birds flying freely. Then behind those, are snowy mountain ranges, however Serena doesn't expect they'll be easy to climb, making a natural barrier for the edge of the arena. From the looks of it, it's an incredibly small arena. Maybe the game makers are hoping for more entertainment in a short amount of time.

The timer on top of the cornucopia reads 8 seconds until the start of the hunger games. Serena quickly searches amongst the tributes to find Roman, or even her fellow tributes. She finds Roman first, the tribute on the last pedestal to the right of her. She doesn't have time to search for the other 4 as her attention in the last 5 seconds of the countdown focuses on the small boy stood next to Roman. He's been incredibly stupid and has lifted his foot. He's about to place it on the ground, a mere 3 seconds too early, before his pedestal blows sky high and the boy is turned into chunks of flesh and bone.

There's a scream from a younger girl on the other side of Serena and the tributes all watch in horror. The countdown finishes and the sound of the 69th Annual Hunger Games sets all 6 tributes off and running towards the cornucopia. Serena can't help but notice the two individuals that stay stood, shell-shocked and staring at the blown up pedestal.

The District 4 female runs quickly towards her weapon of choice, not letting her feet get stuck and sucked by the mud beneath her. Once she makes it to the platform, she jumps up and grabs the two spears. "Blaze!" She hollows as the career runs towards her from the left. He gives her a defiant look as she tosses the cool metal his way and he catches it perfectly in one hand. Serena jumps down from the platform and lets her arm arch back to kill her first victim. It's one of the younger, stupid and naive girls running towards her.

The older girl drives her arm forward and watches proudly as it soars through the air and lodges itself in the other girls heart. The first canon fires, and Serena smiles maliciously as she walks slowly towards her victim. She remembers Finnick's words: entertain. When she reaches the younger girl, she twists the spear in her heart, even though she's already dead. It gives a loud crunch and the girl tries to keep her disgust within her.

The spear is pulled out and 3 more canons fire. Serena's about to turn her back when an arrow flies past her head and Price screams at her to watch out. The strong and tall District 11 male is charging at her with a strong heave of breathe, he's got a bag on his back and a dagger in his hand. The arrow lands in his shoulder, and he cries out. It doesn't falter him, however, as he lunges at Serena and grabs her hair. She cries out as he throws her to the floor.

He leans above her with the dagger and is about to plunge it through her neck before a throwing knife wedges itself in his palm. He wails and collapses back, away from an on-coming Roman. Serena jumps up with her spear and starts to chase after the boy regretting his decision. She reaches out her spear and smacks it against his shins, making him slip in the mud. She gets on top of him quickly as Roman covers her from the left and right. They're on the edge of the lake, so Serena forces her spear on to his neck, and pushes his head into the water. She grinds her feet against his wrists as he struggles to get out of the water and save himself from drowning. He gurgles water and chokes, before his body starts to violently thrash. His body goes limp underneath her, and a canon fires.

Serena sits back as she looks around the field. Apart from the careers and dead bodies, it's empty. She looks up at Roman with a sigh. "Thanks." She mutters, referring to him saving her arse. He just chuckles and gives her a hand up. He has blood on his cheek, most likely from the boy that exploded next to him.

"I've always got your back, Serena." Roman shrugs as he takes the throwing knife out of the boys body and wipes the blood off on his jumper.

"We've taken out a few of them." Remus grins as the four other careers walk over. He has his arm slung around Price, however the girl is clever, and is still peering at the trees for potential threat.

"A few? More like most of them." Alexis laughs lightly.

"Shit!" Price yells and she leaps away from the group and let's an arrow fly through the air towards the lake. It's Ash, a sword in hand and a waterproof sack on his back full of supplies. The arrow grazes the District 7's arm as he dives elegantly into the water. "How the hell did we miss him!? He's our biggest competition!"

"We didn't cover the cornucopia." Roman grumbles quickly as the six careers watch interestingly as Ash pulls himself out of the lake and runs into the trees.

"Let's gather supplies." Alexis says. "The rest could be in the trees waiting to get the good stuff."

"How many have we killed?" Serena questions as she looks at the vast bodies surrounding them. There was a lot for the bloodbath, and the girl reckons the careers have peeled off about half before the games have even begun.

"We got 7 between us, that pedestal got another, and it looks like Ash has drowned two, unless they just didn't know how to swim. That means, including us, there's 14 left. That's actually going to make these games quick." Roman answers. He's cool and calculating, playing the career part and not even letting Serena glimpse his very real vulnerability.

The careers think over this information as they each pick packs and weapons. Serena picks up a bag which contents contain a thermal sleeping bag for two, and she suggests the other get those too, other wise they'll freeze after going through that lake. She fills the bag with food, and a canister for water. She takes a pack of matches. As she's carrying the sleeping bag for Roman, the boy picks up a large blanket for the both of them.

Weapons wise, Serena straps on a small dagger to a pocket on her leg. She also straps a sword to her back and keeps her spear glued to her hand.

"District 9?" Remus suggests. They were some easy competition, but would be a good fight at that. Serena laughs lightly, they were young and weak, but they weren't going to go down with a fight.

"Cane and Rye, right?" Alexis speaks up with a thoughtful look.

"Who cares. Their names will soon be forgotten." Remus chuckles as he jumps down from the platform.

"Everyone got all their supplies?" Roman questions as he checks over his team quickly.

"Yeah, we should fill up our bottles at the lake." Blaze suggests. The water could be unfit to drink, so as the six tributes arrive at the lake, Serena stops them.

"Let Roman and I check it, it may be unsafe to drink." Serena instructs and the lean down to do inspections. The girl places her hands into it and inspects the colour: it's crystal clear. Roman let's a drop touch his tongue and he tastes for impurities easily.

"We're good to go." Roman grins as he fills his bottle and immediately takes long chugs from it. Serena stands up after re-filling her own. She looks around before taking a step back. She bounces on her feet and dives into the water, feeling relief run through her and and flood her lungs. It felt like being at home, once again. When the tribute comes up for air, she spins around and grins at the other careers who are wet from Serena's dive.

"Are you guys coming? We have some tributes to kill." Serena giggles from the lake. Blaze laughs heartily and canon-ball's after the District 4 female.

"Let's go get District 9!"

word count: 1572
a/n: at the rate of deaths, I'm not sure they'll be many chapters for the games??