🅰🆁🅸🅴🆂 scowl at the mutation by his feet. The mutation has human eyes, Glimmer's eyes. "Glimmer..." Katniss has shaken out of her daze with a very flat voice. Aries looks up at her, then at the mutation. Seeing as Cato has yet to notice his presence, Aries glances in Estella's direction, doing their telepathic communication.
"What's it gonna be, Girl on Fire?" Aries wasn't focusing on Cato's taunting Katniss as he was busy keeping his eyes on the other pack below them. A plan formed in his mind. He wasn't sure how he'd gone to go about it, but he knew he had to.
Katniss's gasp broke his concentration as she smacked his back, Aries growled at her. Annoyed at Katniss right now, he turns to her attention. He sees that the problem has worsened. Cato has yanked Peeta to safety, sort of. He got the guy in a vicious headlock with Peeta's legs hovering off the edge of the Cornucopia, twenty howling mutations below.
They all have human eyes. Tribute eyes. Eerie as hell.
Cato seemed to notice Aries now; his eyes were second-guessing his action now with Aries around but kept a strong front. Aries scowls at Cato, then looks back at Katniss and the mutation. He took notice of how Estella was no longer on the tree, watching from a safe distance.
Katniss draws her bow. Aiming it right at Cato's head. The noise from the mutations is disorienting, "Let him go, Cato." Mutations baying and Peeta turning blue. She can't fire that arrow or he'll fall. She glances at Aries with pleading eyes for help, hoping he would do something.
Aries can't help her, he's busy panicking, his blue eyes wandering around for where Estella would be. She wasn't at her usual safe distance.
"Somebody's gotta lose. You know that." Cato spoke the truth and reality of their world. Everyone knew the game makers wouldn't just let 2 people win this year's Hunger Games. Aries let out a relieved sigh, seeing Estella below him, well-hidden and quiet from the mutations to notice her.
She gestures for Aries towards Cato. The male frowns at first before understanding quickly. He nods, then looks back down at Katniss, whispering: "I swear I'm sparing you much more than needed." Katniss pulls off the arrow, letting it fall to the ground, glancing at Aries in confusion and worry. She has given up, knowing she can't do anything unless it involves Peeta's death.
SWISH!
Katniss and Cato snap their head, behind Katniss stands Estella. She was so silent no one noticed her. She had thrown her dagger, aiming right at Cato's hand. Bullseye. Cato cries out, reflexively releasing Peeta, and loses his footing on the slick surface. Katniss lunges forward and grabs Peeta while Aries takes this chance, running towards Cato and slamming their body together and off the Cornucopia.
"Aries!" Peeta called out for his friend, surprised by his boldness. But what was more unpredictable was when Estella followed right after them, stealing Katniss's bow and arrow in the process. Katniss and Peeta run to the edge of the Cornucopia, watching in horror as Cato and Aries battle out each other while avoiding the sharp teeth of the mutation.
Estella hit every one of the beasts the best she could, making a safe area for the two to battle it out. "Estella!" Peeta called out for his friend. He was trying to think of a way to get her back. Katniss glances at Aries as he is fighting Cato, peering over the edge of the Cornucopia.
Aries has gotten Cato down, but he is still fighting. Estella took out one of Aries's swords and stabbed it directly at Cato's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Aries is breathing heavily, the adrenaline rush from winning the fight has worn off. But the end isn't near as they are still surrounded by the beasts. He looks up at Katniss, then at Peeta, gears moving for once before his actions.
Estella and Aris both ignore the screams and yells from Cato.
Instant carnage, a human being, torn apart. Cato shrieks, Katniss watching in horror as the Mutts simply maul him. His eyes find Katniss, a desperate, dying request: Please. Aries easily got his way around the beast, killing 5 all on his own. While Estella simply avoided the killing, instead she was putting pain on them. She stabs one in the eye, then another, then another.
Katniss and Peeta watch in horror, as Cato is being devoured. A cannon blasts.
"Stellie..." Aries calls out for Estella, he has a plan. He takes out his sword, and stabs it into the skull of one of the beasts, killing it instantly. Katniss and Peeta watch Aries, they had no idea what he was planning on doing. Aries grabs Estella, lifting her by her waist, he was going to throw her off the Cornucopia.
Estella didn't get a say, as she was thrown like a bag of feathers, landing right onto Peeta who is a terrible catcher. Katniss and Peeta look at each other in shock, they had no idea Aries was going to do this. The male had tossed Estella like a ragdoll, once Estella was on her feet. She immediately shoots out arrows to make a way for Aries.
Peeta understanding what was going on, laid on his stomach with his hand reaching out, "Aries! I'll pull you up!" Aries nods, then quickly runs closer to the Cornucopia, slipping through the beasts' teeth and holding hands with Peeta. With Peeta's strength, he pulled Aries up with ease but one of the beasts crawled Aries's calf, earning him to bite down a groan.
Estella aims at the beast, Aries uses his last energy to kick it right on his snout, and Peeta pulls Aries up. Estella shoots one of the beasts in the head, killing it. Safety. At last. The remaining mutations try to scale the sheer wall, but none of them can do it.
The four sat quiet, sinking everything that had to happen in merely minutes. Estella sat beside Aries, wrapping the claw wound. Katniss and Peeta embrace each other in from of them. They were safe.
"I'm sorry for everything," Peeta said, looking up at the sky. No one responded to his words, and Estella gave him a sweet smile. Aries was the first to speak, "You weren't to blame for this." Katniss and Peeta looked at each other, both understanding the gravity of the moment.
They kept silent until the sun rose once more for a new day. Everyone could sense something so off; they were waiting for the announcement.
"Greetings to the final contestants of the 74th Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. A closer examination of the rule book has revealed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
Katniss just stares. Peeta too. Neither can speak - all hope suddenly vacuumed out of their bodies. It broke with Aries's hysterical laughter as he bangs his fist on the Cornucopia. Katniss stares at Estella in wonder if her partner is mentally stable while Peeta shivers at how scary Aries is just by his laugh. "What's his deal," Katniss spoke, annoyed.
"You own me 5 bucks, Stellie! I told you they would announce that shit once the sun is up!" Aries had this huge grin, showing his teeth to Estella who rolled her eyes.
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