Victors

Prologue

Rebel's POV

I raced across the scorched grasslands, making sure to stay as low as possible. There weren't any cameras that I knew about around these parts, since I was already past the boundaries of the city. Nobody could ever get out here, so why maintain surveillance?

Even so, I tried to stay silent and out of sight. It was relatively easy. The bots didn't come out here either.

The com beeped in my hand. I looked down at it as I continued to run. The little blip on the screen was blinking and moving in my direction.

She's getting close, I thought. I ran faster.

Finally, as I crested a hill, the huge arena came into view. It didn't look like much on the outside: mostly made of dark metal materials in a haphazard sort of way. But I knew what the inside looked like. I'd been in there once before, and was the only one to come out alive.

I checked the com again and began to make my way down the hill. Still no sign that anyone had caught onto me. It wouldn't be that way for long, though.

I reached the edge of the arena. I checked the com. The little blip was just on the other side.

"I'm coming, Infinity," I whispered as I drew my diamond sword. I still couldn't believe she was sent into the Games. Stupid Todd and his new rules.

With a few easy strikes, the dark metal fell away, and a glowing blue field was revealed. I put my sword away and could see through the translucent force field. Standing there, her blonde hair disheveled and with multiple cuts on her skin, was my best friend in the whole world.

I pressed a button on the device in my pocket, and a small section of the force field shorted out. Infinity gazed at me in awe.

"Rebel," she started with her familiar cheerful grin. "I—"

Suddenly, I heard a blast, and Infinity's eyes widened. Mine did the same as I noticed the hole in her chest, the edges of it glowing with heat from whatever hit her. The familiar cannon that I despised so much fired in the background.

Infinity fell to the ground, and on the other side of her, farther back in the arena, was a bald man pointing a strange-looking pistol in my direction. As he saw me and the shorted out force field, however, his bushy brows furrowed with confusion. He hadn't been expecting someone from the outside. He had just been playing the Game. I fell to my knees, staring at Infinity's body.

An arrow suddenly struck a tree near the bald man, and he snapped out of his confusion. He turned in the arrow's direction and fired his pistol. Something that looked like magma shot out of it. The bald man then turned and ran the opposite direction. A few seconds later I saw a boy with a dark cloak and glowing yellow eyes chasing after him.

But they didn't matter to me. All that I cared about was the girl lying on the ground less than a foot away from me, lifeless. Infinity was all I had left. Everyone I cared about was gone.

It wasn't the bald man's fault. He was just doing whatever it took to survive. The person really at fault here was Todd.

I had to kill him.

Suddenly, red lights on the outside of the arena began to flash, and a blaring alarm pierced my ears. I jerked to my feet and pressed the button in my pocket again. The force field reappeared, and I turned and ran.

I heard the whirring of the bots, but didn't see any. Which at least meant they didn't see me either. As I ran back the way I came, visions of vengeance played through my brain. I knew none of them were attainable by myself, though. I needed help.