𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 | Finnick Odair

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. got scars on my back from your knife

Sixty seconds.

That was how long tributes were required to wait on their podium before the sound of a gong disabled the land mines. Step off before the minute was up, and you'd blow your legs off.

Genevieve had seen many tributes from past games jump off just a second too early and bring an end to their life before the games had even officially started. Children who had what it took to win, being taken out first because they couldn't wait long enough. That was one mistake she wasn't going to make

She had sixty seconds to take in the ring of tributes spaced evenly around the Cornucopia, this year it was a giant marble horn made up of pillars and what looked like the ruins of an ancient building, the mouth of it had to have been at least twenty feet high, filled to the brim with valuable supplies such as medicine, water, food and weapons. Dotted around the Cornucopia were other supplies, their value decreasing the farther they were from the horn. For instance, only a few steps from her feet lay a short piece of rope. She wasn't idiotic enough to waste valuable time bending over and picking it up. It would do her no good and there was sure to be better supplies lying in the structure itself.

Finnick had only given her one piece of advice that morning and it had been to go in and fight. After all she was a career, the academy gave her an advantage and she wasn't about to throw that away by running at the first sign of danger. She scoured nearby tributes and spotted Rex three places to her left. They held eye contact for half a second before he nodded determinedly and looked forward, his eyes focusing on the cornucopia.

They were located in the pit of a valley. Mountains sprung up in a circle surrounding them and Genevieve wondered what was beyond them. Opposite her she noticed a woodland area, filled with pine trees, it would be the smartest hiding space for the rest of the tributes, sheltered and relatively flat. Even the dumbest of the pack wouldn't be stupid enough to attempt to climb a mountain without proper gear. That worked out well for her. Genevieve's opponents would be packed together like sardines in a can. Forced to listen as their peers were picked off one by one, living in fear that they would be next.

As she stared resolutely at the entrance of the cornucopia something caught her eye. Resting on a mound of backpacks, were two katanas in a sheath that was meant to be worn on the handler's back. She was yet to see any throwing stars so the two swords would be what she would aim for. She would get to them first. No matter what. Genevieve was fast. She could sprint faster than most of the girls at the academy with only a few exceptions but she had yet to catch sight of Caspian who had always been that little bit speedier. She doubted he would go for the same weapons as she would considering that she could see a pair of tridents that he was sure to rush to on the left of her preferred weapons.

The timer started beeping, snapping her out of her thoughts and she looked up at the clock, five seconds; she readied herself to sprint, four seconds; Genevieve set her eyes on the katanas, three seconds; she took a breath of the pine fresh air and relished in it's crispness.

As soon as the clock ticked over to zero she was off, running, towards her only target - the blades. Her heart pounded in her ears as she felt the brush of grass on her knuckles as she scooped them up effortlessly, securing the sheath on her back and pulling out the katanas so she held one firmly in each hand.

Now was not the time to grab survival packs, she could do that later with the help of the rest of the career pack who would lay claim to the cornucopia. Right now Genevieve needed to prove to her sponsors that she was worth their generous donations by killing someone. Letting her eyes roam over the playing field she set her gaze on her first target.

A boy, she recognised from District 9, reached a pack of food at the same time as another tribute and for a split second they paused unsure of who was going to grab it first. Their hesitation was all the invitation she needed as she threw one of the katana's straight into the male tribute's back, and watched gleefully as the other tribute scooted away suddenly, repulsed by the spray of blood that splattered onto her chest. Genevieve vaguely remembered her as the girl from eight. Another easy target.

She charged at her, before the younger girl could come to her senses and run away, in one hand she holds her other blade, poised to kill. The girl scrambled to her feet as she approached. Genevieve pulled her second blade from the back of the other tribute who gave a weak groan before collapsing as a canon sounded in the distance. A smile danced on her lips as she noted her first official kill and the girl would be her second. She didn't know their names but she didn't have any reason to now. This was just one more kill closer to victory for her. Luck did not seem to be on the girl from eight's side as she tripped over her own feet and fell backwards, in her effort to escape. As her body hit the floor Genevieve pounced, pinning her down with one hand, she took the blade that, moments ago, had been embedded in another tribute's back and slashed at her throat. The cannon sounded the second the decapitated head fell to the side clinging to the dead girl's neck by only a sliver of skin. It was a gory way to go but at least it had been quick. She wiped the droplets of blood that had splattered onto her face off with the back of her sleeve and turned to observe the others.

On the left of her, Caspien had just snapped the neck of a boy from five with his bare hands. Seraphina was stabbing the girl from three repeatedly as though she had a personal vendetta against her. As she watched, the boy from eleven tripped over what looked like a survival pack, and the noise alerted every career in the nearby vicinity to his presence. Rex lunged towards him with a spear and threw it with such force that it poked out the other side of his stomach and then turned away.

"What are you doing!?" Pertan shouted angrily. Genevieve turned to face him, momentarily blinded by the sun."He's not dead yet!" He called as Rex made his way towards the cornucopia. "He'll bleed out eventually, just leave him." Rex shrugged nonchalantly and he was right because moments later another cannon sounded and the boy from eleven fell forward, pale and lifeless.

The rest of the tributes had already escaped the Cornucopia and ventured into the woods or mountain range. Seraphina, Rex, Marla, Caspian, Pertan and Genevieve were the only ones left in the clearing.

"How many did you kill?" Caspian asked, looking dissatisfied with his own number.

"Only two," she muttered disappointed. "Most of them didn't even try to grab anything. They just ran straight out."

"Better than me. I only got one. How many did the rest of you get?" He turned to face the group

Seraphina and Rex both signalled they'd only managed one tribute and the district two tributes hadn't got any.

"I did manage to graze Ginger on the side as he escaped." Marla piped up. "District six boy with red hair." She explained at the confused looks

"That's got to be the worst blood bath in years." Genevieve groaned, running a blood soaked hand through the ends of her hair. "We need to get more than five by tonight otherwise the game makers might take initiative and then we're all in danger."