Gladiators -- Clato

-Broken Glass-

i'm on a roll w these chapters
there is some mention of SH in this chapter so just be warned
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My eyes search for more things to destroy. Everything in my sight is reduced to pieces on the floor. The intricate vases on my wardrobe? Gone. The porcelain bust of District 2's first victor? In pieces. At some point I become so enraged that I grab one of my knives from my belt and send it into the beaded chain holding up the chandelier above my bed. It comes down with with a massive crash, spewing glass and twisted metal everywhere. I look around. Everything to destroy has already been destroyed. It's only then when I notice my hands are covered in blood. There's a cut on my cheek where a flyaway piece of glass hit me. My legs are nicked and scraped. I look like a mess.

My chest is still heaving from my effort, and when the door opens to reveal Enobaria, I kick and scream as she pulls me out of the room, cursing at me. Glimmer and Cato are still on the couch. I don't care about them.

"You crazy bitch!" Enobaria yells at me as she throws me into her private bedroom, my blood staining her white sheets. "What the hell are you thinking, making a scene like that!"

She paces around and lets out a shrill sound of anger. "Are you happy? Got his attention now, haven't you?"

Her words make my fury worse. As I get up off the bed and advance toward her, Enobaria grabs my arm and slaps me hard across the face.

"Stop it!" she screams. "You're insane. Wait here. I have to get those fucking freaks to clean you up." With that, she swishes around and slinks out the door.

I rub the spot on my cheek where she slapped me. it stings. Now that the craze has left me, I just sit bleeding on the bed. Watching the blood run reminds me of other times, where I would slash my own skin. I rub a slice in my arm.

Enobaria returns soon with my prep team, who gasp in shock at the sight of me but don't speak. They rub some of that ointment on me which fixes my cuts, wash me in the shower and comb glass bits out of my hair. When they're done, it's like nothing even happened.

I shoo the annoying pests out of the room and then leave. Glimmer is gone now. I hope Enobaria was the one who sent her home.

She's nowhere to be seen. Brutus too. There's only Cato, brooding on the couch. He shoots me a look.

"What did you do to yourself?" he mutters. "You came out of your room covered in blood."

I don't respond. I just go to the kitchen and get a glass of water.

"you're just gonna ignore me?" Cato shouts.

"Leave me alone!" I yell. "you know what you did."

"Like what? You know the both of us are in this Game to win, Clove. I'll stop at nothing to get there."

"So you'll manipulate me?" I ask, hoping he doesn't hear the hurt in my voice. I will not be weak in front of him.

"I wasn't..."

I turn around to look at him. "You really meant it when you said I was the one?"

He nods wordlessly.

I look down. I belive him. He's said it too many times for him to be lying. I move to the couch and tentatively sit beside him. He studies me, curiosity and thinly veiled interest in his gaze. He jumps a little as I touch his hand.

I trace the veins in his arm from his wrist all the way up to the top of his bicep. His eyes follow my every move. Neither of us speaks as I study him. Then, I smirk.

"If I cut you now, would your blood come out blue?" I ask.

Cato gives a sharp laugh of surprise. "why are you so eager to put a knife to me?" he rumbles.

I lick my lips, looking up at him. In turn, he takes my arm in his hand. He's got huge hands, strong and calloused, but they're gentle as they turn my forearm. He looks down at the rows of faint scars there.

"For how long?" he asks.

"What?" I mutter apprehensively. I want to draw my arm away, but the moment is too delicate so I sit there.

"How long have you been doing that?" I look up at him, and i'm stunned to find genuine concern there.

"Oh..." sensing my discomfort, Cato lets go of me and I look down self consciously. "A while," is all I say.

Cato nods. He then holds out his hand to me, palm up, and I immediately notice the thick grooves in the skin that are definitely not natural.

"Sometimes," He begins. "I would do it to punish myself. For not training well enough. For not being the top of my class." He runs a finger along the scars. "Sometimes I would just do it to watch the blood run. To remind myself I'm alive."

I feel the lump in my throat rising, and quickly look away. This...isn't a moment the two of us are supposed to be sharing. Telling our secrets to one another. No, things were much easier when I hated Cato.

"Why are you telling me this?" I wonder, looking into his blue fire eyes.

"Like I said," He replies. "Only one of us can win. Some comfort can't hurt, right?"

I smile, just a little. "Maybe not. But promise it won't come down to the two of us, okay?"

Cato chuckles darkly. "I mean, let's just hope whichever one of us has to go, it's quick."

I grin. "But I get to kill Fire Girl?"

"You get to kill Fire Girl," Cato laughs.
But suddenly I remember Glimmer. "Oh, but... what about-"

"Glimmer?" Cato finishes my sentence. "Yeah, I know. Her mentor is one of the Tanner siblings."

"Gloss or Cashmere?" I ask.

"Cashmere. she and Brutus came up with the plan, but Glimmer doesn't know."

"That... that's weird. How does that benefit Glimmer?" I wonder.

"Makes her look desirable. The Capitol loves drama. Whichever one of us dies, the other still has an advantage."

"let's make a bet," I say mischievously. "If she makes it halfway, I'll do anything you want me to for a day."

"Hm." Cato mumbles. "what's the other end of the deal?"

"If she doesn't make it halfway, you get to tell me whatever you want me to do."

Cato smiles venomously. "deal."