•𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲•

19

A/N: Second to last chapter! I can't believe I've actually stuck with a story this long.

T/w: Stuff dealing with suicide

Enjoy!

     "No."

     It came out like a whisper. Katara couldn't seem to make any louder noise as the announcement rang in her ears. Her throat became dry and she felt like all of the air came out of her lungs.

     Everything came crashing down once again. They both wouldn't get to go home. They wouldn't both get to see their families. They wouldn't both get to leave the arena alive, just as they foolishly thought they would. It was all a lie.

     "No!" Katara stood up and kicked the cornucopia, making a large clanging sound echo through the arena. Her foot hurt, but she didn't care.

     "The Capitol always lies," Zuko sneered, anger radiating off of him. "I was stupid to believe they would ever let us both come home."

     "We were both stupid," Katara said, angry tears coming to her eyes. But she quickly wiped them away. "Our lives to them are just television drama. They don't even see us as real people."

     Katara felt Zuko take her hand and look into her eyes. For just a moment, he was all that mattered.

     "We don't have to do anything," Zuko said frantically. "Let's just wait it out. They'll have to stop it eventually if they aren't getting a victor."

     "That would never work. They'd just find some way to kill us," Katara replied, sighing. "You saw their mutts. There's no way out of this."

     "Well, I'm not killing you!"

     "I'm not killing you either!" Katara snapped. "You have to do it, Zuko!"

     "But you have your father and brother and your bird you don't really like!"

     "And you have your mother," Katara said, taking a step closer to him. Zuko didn't flinch as she placed her hands gently on his scarred skin. "You need to be there for her."

     "Katara," Zuko said, removing her hand somewhat reluctantly. "You have more family. And what about your friend?"

     Katara shook her head. "Aang will be fine. They all will be, eventually. You're the one who's going home."

     "No."

     "Zuko I swear to Agni-" She sighed. "I'm not asking," Katara grabbed her backpack from where it had fallen. She picked up two things, Toph's headband, which she pocketed, and one of her parachute containers. Her hands were shaking as she opened it and grabbed a handful of berries.

     "What are you doing?" Zuko asked, panic rushing into his voice. "Stop!"

     "I'm sorry," Katara said. "Tell my family that I love them."

     Zuko took her wrist in his hand. "Don't leave me." His golden eyes pleaded with her, looking more desperate than she'd ever seen him look before. But she had already made up her mind.

     "I'm sorry, Zuko."

      Zuko didn't say anything. He just walked over and grabbed a handful of his own berries. "You're not doing that. I am."

     "No, I am."

     "Well, we can't both do it! They need a winner for their stupid games."

      Do they?

       "What if they didn't get one?" Katara asked, surprised she dared to even say those words out loud. "The whole system would crumble. No victor means the Gamemakers would get in trouble. They'd get fired, arrested, maybe even executed."