Gladiators -- Clato

-The Games Begin-

I feel the anticipation shiver through me as the sunlight blinds me and my platform rises with a soft click and the world of the Arena is born around me.

It's in a forest glade, a meadow surrounded by tall deciduous trees. Nothing too unfamiliar. It's a lot greener than the landscape I'm used to seeing, but that means nothing here.

The great metal cornucopia sits spilling with goods at the center of the clearing. My sight roves over the pile, searching for any glint or shine that may suggest the presence of a knife.

The countdown begins, and immediately my head swivels around to study the playing field. Cato is positioned opposite me, with Marina close to my right. Marvel and Glimmer are placed an equal distance from each other on either side of the circle.

Then I spot Fire Girl. She's positioned at the mouth of the Cornucopia, almost at a perfect point to run in and grab something. I grit my teeth and clench my fists, preparing to finally feel the weight of a throwing knife in my hands again.

The counter's at thirty now. I single out the weaker tributes I may be able to take on, but I've already decided to leave most of the pickings to Cato and One. They're bigger and stronger, and I'm more quick. I am the one who will go after Fire Girl.

Ten, nine, eight...

I try to catch Cato's eye, but his unflinching gaze is set only on the center of the Cornucopia. He may not be the quickest, but his brute strength would be enough to deliver him to the weapons at the center.

Seven, six, five...

There's electricity in me now, not blood. Every fiber in my body is twitching with the energy stored in me.

Four, three, two...

One. I fly off my pedestal, feeling he powerful adrenaline propel me beyond the limits of my body. I'm immediately at the middle, and that's when the sounds of killing start.

I frantically rummage through the piles of supplies, head whipping this way and that as I check for aggressors. I watch Marvel drive his spear into the chest of a young girl, and even incompetent Glimmer is hacking away at someone with her machete.

Then I find it, there. As if placed strategically for me. A knife jacket, lined with row after row of various knives. I shrug off the one I'm wearing and throw the knife jacket over my body, retrieving a throwing knife and launching myself up and toward the carnage.

I hear a shuffle behind me and wheel around, sending my knife straight into the throat of the girl from Three. She gurgles and crumples to the floor.

I retrieve another knife, looking wildly around for any sight of Fire Girl.

I see her at the edge of the clearing, grappling with an ashen-haired boy over a backpack. The boy raises a weapon over her head, and I hurl my knife into his back. That's my kill!

He spews blood from his mouth onto Fire Girl's stunned face, and as she scrambles away, I fly into action. Reading my arm to throw as I run, I aim right for her wide-eyed face. The knife shoots through the air, and-

Lodges right into her backpack. That bitch! How could she cover her face that fast? Taking her moment, she gets to her feet and sprints away into the forest. I send another knife after her, but it sorely misses and I scream in anger.

The battle is coming to an end at the
Cornucopia. There are some people still gasping their flying breaths, a scream here and there, but when I turn around, the Careers are patrolling the blood-soaked grass, weapons in hand. My chest is still heaving with anger, and I dread having to tell the others I failed to kill her.

I watch Cato slice the neck of the small boy from four as he attempts to leave the Cornucopia with a backpack. The boy crumples to the floor and Cato turns around.

His face is flecked in blood, and his clothes are covered in it. When I look into his eyes, they're empty. Nothing in them but hollowness.
I know I must look the same. Killing people does that to someone. They had taught us that back in the Academy— emptiness is always better than any type of emotion on the battlefield. Just the innate desire to stay alive.

I wrench my gaze away from Cato land retrieve the knives I've left strewn around. As i wrench one out of the back of the boy, I hear Marvel's laugh come from across the clearing and look over at him.

"Man, that was awesome!" He enthuses to Cato. "It's crazy we're actually here..."

"I know! Thanks for having my back, Cato," Glinmer giggles.

I wipe the blood off the knife onto the grass harshly. Of course, now that we're in front of the nation, any relationship between Cato and I is out of the question. He's got his facade with Glimmer...

Well, I'm just Clove, I suppose. When I think about it, not a lot is changing. I'm still the same ruthless killer I've always been. I look down at the clean silver surface of my blade, and there's a twinge of reassurance in me. If there's one thing that'll never fail me, It's my knives.

I make my way back over to the group of them. Marina is standing off to the side, nursing a lightly bleeding cut on her right bicep. "What's the next move?" I ask.

"Gather up some supplies, we're hunting," Cato says. He tosses me a backpack causally and motions to the rest of the careers to do the same. "Some food, water, whatever. You guys know what to do."

I open the backpack he threw me. It's got some nuts and dried cranberries, some iodine tablets and a filled water bottle. Marina sidles up to me as we scout the body-littered clearing to find her some supplies.

"Bravura was a nice kid," She says finally.
I realize she must be talking about the boy from her distirct.

"I'm...sure he was," I say awkwardly. I'm not the best at comforting people.

She shrugs. "Whatever."

We find her some crackers and water, and circle back around to the group. Everyone seems to have found enough, and Cato takes a few minutes to gather up some scattered supplies and put them into the Cornucopia. I know that the straggling tributes will dive in and snag some items while we hunt, but there's enough there that a few missing bags won't hurt.

Marvel and Cato are talking about their kills. "Uh... I'm at two, or three, I think," Marvel mutters.

"Not bad at all," Cato gives the tall, skinny boy a clap on the shoulder. "What about you, Glim?"

"Oh, I dunno," She laughs lightly. "One or two? I know, I suck."

I grit my teeth to keep from saying something snarky to her. No one will ask how many kills I have, and I wont tell. It doesn't matter.

"You get her?" Cato asks sharply, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I look away. "She got away," I hiss.

Cato remains silent, and I know he's disappointed in me; I'll hear about this later. I've failed at my job, and everyone knows it. Glimmer even giggles mockingly and says something under her breath.

"We'll get her," Marvel says, and I throw him a relieved glance, thanking him for backing me up.
Cato grunts and turns away, and we follow him into the woods to begin our hunt.