Six of Crows characters in the Hunger Games

Doomed

Kaz

By now, Kaz was certain someone was trying to kill them. It was, after all, the only logical conclusion. Why else would so many have them died so quickly? Yes, it was meant to be hard, but they were from the barrel. Anyway, the fire and the lightning bolt were not natural. There were obviously people trying to kill them.

That was what he told himself to think of, not Inej, not the way she smelled. The way she felt. He could not let himself get distracted - not even for a second. He had seen how very easy it was to die here. But then, did he want to survive? He had no plan, no way out. If he lived, it would mean Inej would be dead. Pekka would be gone. If his life had lost all sense of purpose like that, maybe dying wouldn't be such a bad thing. But not yet, not while Rollins still lived.

"Kaz!" Inej's scream had him cursing himself for carelessness. Even running on his newly modified legs, he wasn't fast enough - not for anyone who had spent their entire life with perfect legs. Not sprinting over a long distance. His legs may have been fixed, but he couldn't help the habit of running with a limp.

Finally, the slowed, and Kaz saw Rollins - and Van Eck. Holding a wriggling Inej between them. Pekka whispered something to her that made her freeze, then fight with more vigor. Kaz wasn't fast enough - could only stare in horror. They hadn't had time to look closely for weapons, and had only removed the obvious ones. Now, Inej slid one from her sleeve, with her arms tied behind her back, and drove it into her own back. Arriving moments too late, fueled by anger and unseen by the triumphant, inattentive men, he silently ended both. They deserved to suffer - for what they did to Inej, what Pekka did to Jordie. Now, however, was not the time.

Kneeling beside Inej, he pleaded with her, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"Please, Wraith. Please, wake up. Don't leave me. You were right - I need you. Please, Inej." At last, when he knew he could stay no longer, he lent down, and gently brushed his lips against her's. This time, when the water rose, he didn't fight it. He deserved this. But this time, it was not only Jordie, but Inej, too. And Jesper, and Nina, and the rest of the crows. This was his fault. He had failed, hadn't protected them. Standing, he stumbled away, away from that cursed place. Inej's head lolled over towards him.
"You said you'd come. That you'd save me. No matter what."
"I'm sorry", he tried to say, but the water flooded in, forcing its way into his lungs. Choking the life out of him. He laughed, breathing in water, and allowed himself to be swept into oblivion.

...

Eyes dry, head throbbing, Kaz awoke to find the sun high in the sky. How long had he been asleep? What had happened? As he stood, it all rushed back. Inej was- gone. She had left him, but not in the way he thought she would. He was somewhere near the river, but not quite there yet. Before him, lay a ridge, then a sharp drop to where they had decided the water was most likely the deepest. Judging by the bruises on him, he had collapsed above and rolled down to here.

What to do now? His purpose had vanished, and he found that in the place of Dirtyhands was now Kaz Rietveld, the wide eyed nine year old viewing Ketterdam for the first time. He couldn't recover, not from this. The damage was too deep, too fundamental. It was time. Time to join Jordie, his parents, Inej. Slowly, he walked himself to the edge of the drop and looked down into the swirling waters where his fate now lay. Then he pitched himself forwards, too tired of life to continue.