Hunger Games: Fandom Style

Do You Want to Kill a Vampire? (It Doesn't Have to be a Vampire.)

A/N: Quick note, before we begin: Blood Moon is now published in its entirety. I may go back and tweak a few things later, but the plot stands as written.
Also, just to refresh everyone's memory, still contending we have:
Gimli and Eowyn from Three.
Red and Baelfire from Six.
Will from Seven.
Leah and Edward from Eight.
Harry from Nine.
Arthur and Morgana from Eleven.
And Sherlock from Twelve.
That's . . . eleven left. Only three more deaths until the final eight! Isn't this exciting? To (mis)quote Effie Trinket: "We've got a big, big, chapter ahead of us!"
Are the cannons ready, Gamemaker?
Gamemaker: They are!
Me: Then prepare to fire!

The snow was melting to water beneath their paws as they ran. Soon the streets would be flooded with it. Half of her instincts wanted her to go somewhere safe and dry.
The other half wanted her to go kill a vampire.
She was listening to that half at the moment.
Leah explained things to Red as best she could as they ran. She wasn't sure it all came out right. Some things were so deeply ingrained they were hard to explain to outsiders, like why werewolves were redeemable while vampires were not.
Why do we have to kill him again?
He broke the treaty. He killed someone.
I've killed before.
That's different.
Why?
You weren't in control of yourself.
And the vampire is?
Right. Naturally, at that moment, doubt struck. Was he? Was he really? Or had he gone out of his mind with the thirst? Her wolf form had taken out an elk on pure instinct once before she could stop it. Was this so different?
It had to be. There was nothing wrong with killing an elk. Murder was entirely different.
Different, but not unusual. Not in the Games. Was he worse than any of the others?
Leech. Monster. Kill him.
Polite. Courteous. Patient.
Red could see her doubts, of course. Leah snarled. She didn't have time for this. Not now. They had to kill him and be done with it.
Have you ever killed before?
No, she was forced to admit.
It's not easy. If you're not sure . . .
Her feelings were irrelevant. They had to do this.

Seth sat at the edge of his seat. "Can they take down a vampire alone? Red can't have much experience, and he's a mind reader. They can still do it though, right?"
"Of course they can," Emily said after a moment of silence. She shot daggers at Sam.
Sam wasn't sure. Maybe they could. But if they did, what would the leech's coven do?
If they lived, it could mean war.

Edward stumbled back from the pale corpse.
What have I done?
He grasped the railing for support, but it crumbled in his hand.
What have I done?
He had failed Carlisle. Failed Bella. Broken the treaty.
He was the monster he'd always feared he'd become.
He fled, trying to substitute speed for thought. Her thoughts, ignored at the time, tumbled through his head now.
Anna. She'd had a sister named Anna. She'd had a life. A family.
She'd had blood. Sweet, thick, hot blood -
He cut the thought off, disgusted with himself. He ran faster.
The Capital would know now what he could do. They would come for his family. The war with the Quiletes would start, and for what? Because of his weakness. His failure.
The scent of wet dog stopped him. Leah was coming for him. Coming to fulfill her part of the pact.
He was reaching so hard for her thoughts, he didn't notice Red's until it was too late.

Red leaped for one of his legs. She prayed her teeth would be strong enough to handle the marble skin.
It tore off easily. The shrieking sound pained her ears. It fell bloodlessly to the street.
Leah streaked forward from the side alley. She leaped for his throat.
He fell, dodging her neatly. Red leaped forward for another bite. He kicked out at her with his remaining leg. She jumped back, yelping.
Leah leaped forward and claimed a hand.
Leah had told her of his amazing strength and blinding speed, but she saw no evidence of it. There wasn't much fight left in his eyes.
He'd given up. Red could understand that. She had been in a similar state right after she'd killed Peter. It made the job that much harder to do, in a strange way.

Leah looked down at the pieces. Sometime in the past few minutes, a cannon had rung out. She wasn't sure exactly when.
She nudged a hand with her nose cautiously. It didn't so much as twitch.
Playing dead, are we? Only fire could truly kill a vampire.
Funnily enough, she didn't happen to have a match on her. She could try and fine one, she supposed.
But then, why bother?
Dilemma solved.

The Cullens had stood frozen ever since Edward had taken up the hunt. Now they finally breathed again.
"He let her win," Emmett said in disbelief. "Why would he do that?"
"It was the only he could get out," Bella realized. "The only way that wouldn't force him to kill everyone else in the arena." It had been a good plan, but the terrible images of her love's pain still burned in her memory. Had she still been human, she would have been weeping. But vampires couldn't cry. It seemed unfair somehow.
At least her Edward was coming home. He'd be with her again soon.
Alice's gaze was locked on the future. "He'll be back in two days," she announced. A fierce grin twisted her pixielike face. "The Capital won't notice a thing."

Old Quil was worried. The Cullen boy was dead by a Quilete hand. War now would be disastrous, and for more reasons than many knew.
Normally he left the backyard clear at this time of the week, but what could it matter now?
He froze when he saw Carlisle come down the street with a box full of food the Cullens had to buy to avoid suspicion but could never eat. For years, they had been donating it to keep the pack from starving. Ever since Leah had joined the pack, they'd started donating clothes too.
"Good evening," Carlisle greeted him. If he was surprised to have a witness to his kindness this time, he didn't show it. He pulled a slim brown book from the side of the box. "Listening to Leah and Edward talk last night made me realize you might appreciate having a copy of this."
Old Quil took the book numbly. It was a collection of Quilete legends.
"Ah. Er, thank you." He was feeling more and more uncomfortable. "What was the last update you got on the Games?"
"I saw the fight just before I left for here. Why? Has something else happened?" Concern crossed his face. "Has something happened to Leah?"
"No," he said slowly. If the vampire knew then why on earth -
Carlisle smiled faintly at his confusion. "You'll notice Edward was much faster when he was running than when he was fighting. You'll notice that he didn't break Red's ribs when he kicked her. You'll also notice there wasn't any fire involved. He'll be home in a few days." He hesitated. "I'd appreciate if you'd pass the word along to Sam. I'm afraid if I go there now, he'll get the wrong impression.
The old werewolf stared as the vampire walked away. Then he went to tell Sam that they'd be breaking the treaty over his dead body.