The MCYT Hunger Games

Chapter 13

PoV: Grian

...maybe actually check through your chapter before you just publish it.

Mumbo hears them first.

I groan as I wake up, hearing panicked sounds... I must've actually fallen asleep at some point, since it's late at night. I missed the list of dead tributes. 

'What- what's going on?' I mumble.

'GRIAN!' Mumbo cries back. I scramble to my feet. He's pinned to the tree by the particularly angry Tango. 

'Let him go!' I point my trident at him.

'HELP US!' Tango snaps back. 'HELP ZEDAPH!' My focus flicks from between Mumbo and Zed, who I hadn't even spotted. 

He's lying in Impulse's arms, covered in burns and scratches, still bleeding. I know we've still got the healing cream... or what's left of it. 

'OW!' Zedaph lets out a yell as he moves even a little. Tango shoves Mumbo further against the tree. He lets out a small whimper, moustache quivering. 

'Grian...'

'Let Mumbo go and I will.' 

Tango doesn't move.

'Do you want him to die?! Let Mumbo go!' I repeat. This time, Tango obeys, starting to pace. I grab the cream, shoving it into Impulse's hand. 

'Don't use all of it.' I add. Impulse nods, starting to slowly cover Zedaph's injuries and drawing back every time his friend lets out a squeak of pain. 

'Thank you.' Tango finally calms down enough to say. 'So much. We were running out of options and... and I didn't want anyone else to die...'

'It's alright.' Impulse murmurs back. Instantly, I can tell his isn't a new conversation. 

'Not... not after...'

Tango slumps down against a tree and starts sobbing. For a moment I consider comforting him. Thoughts of BigB rise in mind. Keralis. Iskall. Even Jevin. I killed Jevin.

'Tango... it's ok. He'll survive.' 

'I'm so STUPID!' Tango sobs back.

'You're not!' 

'What... happened?' I dare to ask. Impulse sighs. 

'We... we almost got caught by the fire. Well... Zedaph did. Tango was supposed to be on watch but... he fell asleep. We didn't realise until it was almost too late and... our tree collapsed.'

I see the burns up Impulse and Tango's arms, the holes in their suits from where they were hit by fire. 

The crash of the tree landing on Iskall fills my mind again.

'We... we lost our allies to it.' Mumbo mumbles from where he's sat, recovering, against another tree. 'Iskall... and Keralis...'

'My trap killed them.' I add. 'Because we didn't think to add another exit to our home.' 

'Grian, that wasn't your...'

'It was.' I snap back. 'It was my fault. It was my trap...'

'Odds not in your favour either?' Impulse asks with a small laugh. 'I know... I know Skizz would've been shouting at the TV if they showed what happened with the fire... live...' 

'Skizz... that's your friend back home?'

He nods. 

'I miss him. A lot.' A pause as Impulse takes a deep breath. 'He... he was the best thing in my life.'