Never In Your Favour

Retiarius

There were stories we were told in our early history lessons: the ones before the Capitol cracked and forced us to only cover the history of Panem, and why we owed so much to them. The tales spoke of a great fallen empire, called Rome, where emperors wore laurel garlands and went to watch games in a huge arena called an amphitheatre. There they would watch slaves perform in 'gladiatorial fights', usually against each other, but sometimes there would be beasts thrown into the mix. Depending on where the slave was from, he would have a different set of armour. They were all from places the empire had conquered. Among these 'gladiators' was one called the 'retiarius'. He would wield a net and a trident, and could throw the net over his opponents before brutally stabbing at them with the trident.

This was what Finnick was modelling himself on.

As soon as he picked up the spear, I realised what he was doing. I suppose I was glad he was playing into his strengths. That was until, on the dawn of the third day, he came across the pair from district three. They were discussing who should search for water and who for food. They had slipped away from their group in the night, as they felt like there were plots being made against them. The boy decided to go to find water.
That was Finnick's territory.
Like a jaguar, he tracked him through the woodland, crouched low and moving silently. As soon as the boy was waist deep in the river, the net was over him. He thrashed about like a fish, gasping for air. The spear struck once... twice... a third time. Then he was still, and the river turned to blood as the airlift descended onto his limp and disfigured body.
Canon shot.
He had now killed two people.
He seemed to decide that he needed to find some shelter. The sky was blackening with cloud at an alarming rate, and a light spattering of rain fell from the heavens. The cameras had finally found the district seven girl: the only evidence of her was a pair of gleaming green eyes, blinking on the craggy face of a boulder. She was playing the long game and hiding. The district ones and the girl from two were taking turns to patrol around the cornucopia, which they had taken control of on the first day. As the sunlight thinned into the darkness of night, the camera cut to a band of three, huddled in the woods near to the central clearing.
'We need to take them out. They're too strong with all of the resources from the cornucopia.' Said the strong dark haired district seven male. Luckily for him, earlier that day, he had received a new quiver of arrows from a sponsor, replenishing his stock for several days at least.
'We need a plan. You're good on range Darius. Leo and I can go in at close quarters and slash at them, you can pick them off from out here and-'Now wait a moment Izz,' the district six male (Leo) cut in, 'won't that be dangerous? I mean, what's to stop Darius from picking us off?'
'I trust Darius. He's had many chances to kill us already and he hasn't. Give him a chance.'
'Hmm. Nevertheless, I'll keep watch. You two get some sleep. We can attack at first light.'

One face was in the sky that night. The boy Finnick had slaughtered.

~~

The day was dry and hot. The grass seemed to have lost it verdancy and everyone was overcome with thirst. Everyone except Finnick: the thirst of the Capitol made sure he never wanted for anything. He still sat there with that beautiful smile, winking at Panem.

With a roaring battle cry, the district six tributes rushed the cornucopia, immediately waking the sleeping tributes from their slumber, and clashing swords in an instant. They flew in a dance macabre around a lantern, suspended by a thin inch of rope, circling it like Zoetrope figures. Leo slit a barrel sitting on the edge of a shelf, pouring a clear liquid on the district one girl, who cried out in shock, momentarily blinded by the substance. As the rest of the group were carried by the fight into the open air, the girl stood, waving her arms about in the cornucopia.
She didn't have time to react to the arrow that flew straight at the lantern, severing the rope that kept it from falling. It was then that everyone realised what the district one girl was covered in.
Fuel.
She went up like the coal from district twelve. A towering inferno of pain. As her district partner ran to her with his water, shouting 'Nadia stay with me!', Leo was distracted by the commotion and had no Defense against the oncoming blade from the district two girl. The canon shot was for him, not the girl on fire. With a shriek, Izz threw herself onto his body in tears, shielding him from the airlift she new was coming. She looked up with absolute resolve, and stared at the cameras she knew were there. She stuck her middle finger up at the Capitol as she ran to the cornucopia and doused herself in the remains of the fuel. She caught alight as the canon fired, signalling the death of the district one girl. She stared at the Capitol, at Panem, as we watched her burn and melt, her eyes becoming ghostly sockets that begged for change even in their final moments.
Canon shot.
The district one boy, Dahg, crumpled to the ground as the airlift came for the bodies.
Finnick breathed a sigh of relief as the three faces illuminated the sky that night.