Reprisal

CHAPTER SEVEN

   Dr. Gaul announces the case in question, along with the time of the start of its review, and its experimenter, adding, "This review will pertain to the evaluation and grading of the subject's ability to camouflage successfully, reach an immersion speed of twenty miles per hour successfully, and reach a Terra Firma speed of twenty miles per hour successfully...let us begin."

Coriolanus studies the landscape twenty feet below them, the large area outside the safety window of the viewing gallery is murky, deep water, with an artificial current, though that's not what his eyes fall on.

No.

It's yellow eyes, that become more apparent the longer he stares, that seem to be floating along the ground.

Camouflage, he thinks to himself, just as one of his peers announces, "Right there," motioning in the general direction.

Some of them have to crane their necks to notice it.

"Shit," he hears it whispered, taking in a breath as his tense muscles begin to relax.

All Minerva is doing is sitting still, instinctively adapting to the color palette of her surroundings.

Only it's not just the color, it's the entire pattern of the mimicked floor of the tropical forest that the arena for this year's Games in.

After a few moments, an assistant cautiously steps to the lizard, guiding her into the small river using a chunk of meat. She happily obliges, slow and lazy in her steps as the snack is kept above her head.

Once she hits the water and is rewarded, she propels herself with her spiked tail, disappearing under the water.

Snow frowns.

How is she going to demonstrate her speed in water?

Then, as if reading his mind, another assistant rolls in a cage into the large enclosure, the walls of it blacked out.

The room is growing impatient and curious.

Gasps and small chuckles of amusement sound out when the cage is opened and an Avox is thrown out.

Usually, Avoxes are somewhat sedated if they are to participate, it keeps them cloudy and less likely to fight back...

But this one is wide awake, alert, more than aware.

Snow leans forward on his seat, watching the tongueless man try to scream, trying to fight the assistants, but they both over power him, throwing him into the opposite end of the river, expertly placed least sixty feet down from where Minerva is dwelling, the spikes of her back still visible peeking through the soft roll of the current.

They step back from the water, the Avox flailing, bringing too much attention to himself.

Coriolanus finds himself jolting back slightly at the sight of those spikes disappearing under the water.

No one says a word, on the edge of their seats, anticipating Minerva's strike while her victim wails, splashing and trying to get to the bank.

In the blink of an eye, he's under water.

Blood dyes the bubbling liquid, turning and thrashing with struggle.

Until it stills and the Avox reappears in two halves, innards strung out of him, his legs and abdomen floating in two different directions.

"She didn't even eat him. She did that for fun ." Someone remarks.

She got to him quick . No one denies that.

"Gem of Panem." Is hissed out by one of the women a few rows back, every single Gamemaker nearly panting as another cage is rolled in.

The final test.