Firecracker: The 99th Games Book One

Arena, Night 9 Part 1

Haruka munched on a fallen, extremely damaged mango next to Faqir, alert for any approaching tributes. He was growing more and more exhausted over time; though he and Faqir were eager to contribute to the rebellion somehow, neither of them had any idea how.

"Should we look for those guys with the necklace?" Faqir asked. "Do you think they're still on the cliff?"

"I guess it is way easier to find food now," Haruka muttered. "I can't say it's the worst idea, but...we don't really have a way to prove ourselves, do we?"

"We just have to bank on our overwhelming charisma," Faqir declared. "It worked on each other!"

"It did work on each other," Haruka said fondly, leaning into Faqir's shoulder. His eyes caught on a pair of figures a good distance away, slowly making their way through the ruined jungle. Alert, Haruka sat back up. "...What are the odds those guys are dangerous?"

Faqir frowned, standing slowly. "...I have no idea. Stay here. They've probably already seen us, so I'm gonna try to ease tension."

"Faqir, please be careful," Haruka begged.

Faqir ruffled his hair lightly. "I will, I will. Wait for me!"

He bounded towards the two strangers. Haruka slunk under the fallen tree he had claimed as a seat, peeking out every so often to observe his teammate from afar.

After an agonizingly long time, Faqir finally started returning to Haruka, accompanied by the two strangers. As they grew closer, Haruka identified two boys, one significantly taller than the other.

Wary, Haruka emerged from his hiding spot, crossing his arms. "...Who is this?"

"Rebels," Faqir hissed excitedly as he leapt over the last tree blocking his way. The two boys followed him, the shorter one noticeably somber. "Check out this guy's pin."

He gestured to the shorter boy. Haruka eyed the lapel of his jacket, where a familiar fire emblem was pinned. There was a faint stain on the pin, but Haruka didn't immediately know what it was; it wasn't until the boy got closer that he realized it was blood.

"Where did you get that?" Haruka demanded.

The boy winced. His companion placed a hand on his shoulder, facing the others.

"It belonged to our other ally," he replied. "We lost her in the earthquake."

Haruka winced. Apologetic, he murmured, "I'm sorry. ...I just figured we can't be too careful."

"I understand," the tall boy assured. "...I'm Hinata. This is Touma. And you are...?"

"Haruka," Haruka announced. "That's Faqir."

After a moment, he added, "We lost our other allies too. ...In the Bloodbath."

Hinata's eyes softened. "...I'm sorry for your loss," he said. "We've...been struggling since we lost our girl. I gave her pin to Touma as a memento."

"That's beautiful," Haruka said gently. "...So you know? About this...rebellion?"

Hinata nodded. "My district partner's at the head of it. We just decided to start looking for her. Did you guys hear the plan from your Mentors?"

"...Actually, we eavesdropped on another alliance and found out that way," Faqir admitted. "But Haruka here is from District 6, and supposedly his Mentor is in on it."

"Serena Hasegawa," Haruka added. "She has that symbol on her eyepatch."

Hinata nodded slowly. "I remember that," he said. "Well, it's nice to meet you two. Touma and I are exhausted, so it's good to know there are some other people we can rely on out here. Do you two have a watch cycle?"

"We mostly just stay up all night and sleep during the day and sometimes Haru takes a cat nap on my leg and sometimes I pass out from getting no sleep for forty-eight hours," Faqir said lightly.

"...Okay, so how about you take the first watch, then wake us up and we'll take second?" Hinata suggested. "Starting tomorrow, let's look for Fuyuko. It should be a little simpler now that so many trees are down."

"Sounds like a plan!" Faqir exclaimed. "Thanks for not killing us! What stuff do you guys have?"

"I got a bow and have barely had to use it, so I still have a good number of arrows," Hinata said. "...Kikue had a knife, but we left it with her. No first aid kit, but we have some dried meat left, night vision goggles, one water bottle, a flashlight, and some socks. And one blanket."

"We also don't have first aid. That sucks." Faqir thought for a moment, surveying their backpacks. "But we do have iodine tablets and a water bottle! We just ate the last of our dried food, so now we're surviving on mangoes. A rope, a lighter, a couple pairs of socks, two sleeping bags, and..."

"You got a sword," Haruka finished.

"I have a sword," Faqir confirmed. "And I have no clue how to use it."

"We'll make do," Hinata decided, heading further into the tiny clearing and taking a seat in the mud. "Here, we can share some meat sticks. Got any spare mangoes?"

Haruka showed off the mangled fruit he was in the process of eating. "It's disgusting, but it's good for you!"

"Works for me," Hinata decided. Touma took a seat next to him, still quiet. Hinata pulled him into a side hug. "Have you guys seen anyone else?"

"Only Clare Looker," Faqir said. "She's been hanging out in the Cornucopia. And I guess the alliance with the kids, but only for a bit."

"Clare's smart," Hinata muttered. "We saw the kids too, right after they lost the first one. I don't know how those three are hanging in there after they lost Madoka..."

As the sun set in the sky, Haruka and Faqir chatted with their new friend, sharing supplies and stories of the allies they'd lost. The atmosphere was strangely light, despite the dangers they knew were just around the corner.

One step closer. It was almost time for the Games to end.