Reaper ~ THG AU

Ch. 32: Make them Pay

The sound of a hovercraft knocks me out of my silent daze. I look up, seeing it hover above me and my brother's dead body. A hard glare is clear on my face, my eyes hard and weary. The crane starts to lower, aiming right for Acacius. I gulp, pushing down my emotions as I look back down at him.

I reach for the zipper on his brown jacket, zipping it back up to cover his bloody wound. I kiss his hand before crossing them over his chest. I ignore the loud craft above as I lean down and place a kiss onto his forehead. I close his eyes before caressing his cheek.

"I love you..."

I sniff, standing and stepping back for them to take him away from this place. Flashes of Aurelia, Briar, Sloan, and Atlas come to mind. All of them are probably grieving just as hard as I am. Seeing their tear stained faces spurs on my rage, my shoulders tight and fists clenched.

I watch them carry Acacius's body away, the wheels inside moving with different ways to kill every single person involved in his death. All I gotta do is find a way to do it.

——

The bright moon is the only light I have as I scrounge around for anything that could help me. I have three knives, the one from my boot, the one Acacius threw at Jovie, and the one she threw at me. Acacius's hatchet was still tucked away, marking another potential weapon.

I have all the rope and the two tarps from the bags, but not enough to actually trap anyone. I also have nine apples left, the weird tool, and all our other supplies still intact. All except for my shoulder bag that now has a cut strap.

My eyes study the four weapons and rope, trying to find a way to win this with all that I have. All that I can think of is Caraty's skill with a spear and Jovie's knife throwing. Dante and Augustus aren't any better, both skilled with their respective weapons.

I'm not as good as Acacius with knives, especially when they are off balanced. I have no clue how to use a hatchet as a weapon, let alone kill four skilled opponents. The rope could be used to catch or strangle them, but how would I do it?

More and more questions come to mind as I sit in the empty clearing, staring at the supplies laid out before me. Acacius would know what to do if he was here. He would probably already be on his way to kill them before they could regroup.

Acacius could do this....

I deep ache fills my chest once more, overtaking the previous anger. I push it down, knowing that the only way I can make it out of here is if I hold out on grieving. The only thing I need to think of is winning. Just like he told me to do.

A ringing sound fills the silence of the night, a loud thud coming from behind me. I turn to find a silver parachute with a large, matching crate laying in the middle of the small clearing. My eyes scan the night as I stand, slowly stepping over. My boots crush a few flowers, leaving indents in the tall grass. I step up to the crate, noting how big it is.

I don't think I've ever seen one so large...

It's longer than I am tall, stretching out more than six feet. My curiosity gets the best of me as I reach for the clasps. I pop the first one open, looking around for any threats that may pop out while find out what is in the crate. The other two latches open just as easy, leaving only the lid stopping me from seeing what the gift is. It obviously came from a wealthy sponsor.

I toss the heavy lid open, finding black velvet covering whatever is inside. A white slip of paper lays on top, the same as the previous sponsor gifts. My shaky hand reaches for it, seeing three words printed out in black ink.

'Make Them Pay -S'

I reread the note a few times before looking up towards the sky. The fallen anthem starts to play, the sky lightening up with the Capitol symbol. A picture of Acacius pops up, his eyes strong and unwavering compared to how they were when he took his last breath. My anger comes back full force, my jaw tight and clenched shut.

Once his picture disappears, I'm left alone in the silent clearing once more. My eyes fall onto the velvet holding whatever is from the sponsors. I set the note to the side before grabbing the edge of the velvet cloth.

The flap moves to reveal a beautiful silver and black scythe. My breath leaves me as my hand reaches out for the metal handle. It's cool in my grip, heavier than what I'm used too at home. The blade curves out into a sharp point, no doubt sharp enough to cut off limbs smoothly.

Standing with it in my hands, I study how much longer it is compared to the scythes back in 11. It's taller than me about four inches at least, it's weight definitely more than the wooden handled ones back home. I swing it, getting used to the differences.

It only takes a few seconds to get the hang of it, old moves coming back easier than expected. A small smile forms on my face as I do a full body turn, swiping hard as if I was attacking one of the four who helped kill my brother.

Once I'm satisfied, my eyes turn towards the ropes and tarps still laying on the ground. Multiple ideas come to mind as I walk over, deciding what to do. I have to be smart about this. I'm going against four well-trained opponents who could easily kill me with their bare hands if it came down to it. Some with more strength or agility compared to me.

Dante seems the easiest to take out close up. His build is similar to my own and I have yet to see him fight with anything other than a bow and arrow. There's also tension between him and the other three careers left.

Caraty could be an issue with her anger and strength, but both could also be used against her. She also has the weak leg and now a wound in her arm from Dante. As long as she doesn't get medicine to help, I could use both of those against her as well.

Jovie is another issue, her speed and agility comparable to those who have won in the past. She also has deadly aim with those knives of hers. Her only weaknesses that I remember being her arrogance and pride. I'll probably have to take her out first just to be sure.

The last person makes my blood boil as I picture him stabbing my brother. His arrogant laugh following the cries of my brother and I. He's strong and skilled with his sword. He probably had the highest chance of winning out of all of us left.

I won't let that happen...

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