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CHAPTER TWO: Betting Man
Adonis' chest aches as soon as he sees Glimmer's swollen corpse being picked up by the hovercraft. He knows it's unfair to blame Katniss Everdeen, but she chose such a gruesome manner to kill Glimmer with.
He knew Glimmer. He knows her family. Her older brother went to training with him when they were younger. She's got two little sisters who look just like her.
So it makes sense for him to venture down into the tribute center preparation rooms— which are now made up into a makeshift morgue— to pay his respects to her.
When he arrives in the room dedicated to District One, he finds a set of avoxes. They're wiping cloths against the yellow fluid leaking out of her wounds. The smell inside of the room is that of death: he knows it all too well. He turns his nose up, but takes a seat in the chair in the corner of the room anyways.
The avoxes continue to work until her skin has been cleaned and is no longer swollen with bee stings. They go to comb her hair, and he can't stop himself from crying at the sight of it. Glimmer and her glimmering blonde hair. The avoxes look towards him, but it only makes it worse.
"I- I'm sorry, you know? I'm sorry for all of you, I'm sorry for her, I'm sorry for me... none of it's fair," he sniffles.
It's clear that none of the avoxes know how to react. They stare at him with wide eyes, until one of them steps forward, gulps, and hugs him. He doesn't really know how to react, seeing as whatever happens within the next fifteen seconds could get both of them killed, but he craves the comfort of human touch so badly that he hugs them back, and squeezes his eyes so tight that they ache. He's been hugged by his family and friends of course, but this feels so desperate and full of need that Adonis hasn't felt something so comforting in years.
The hug doesn't last very long, though. They quickly separate from one another, and Adonis wipes the tears from his cheeks. "I should go," he whispers.
Before he leaves, he fishes out an emerald ring from his pocket. He anxiously approaches Glimmer's body, and then slips the ring over one of her broken fingers.
"Thank you for helping her," he mumbles, before ducking out of the room.
-
Adonis is drinking from a crystal glass of liquor as he watches the games play out on the screen in front of him. He's surrounded by sponsors and mentors, all teaming to get a leg up on one another. He doesn't really have a reason to be here anymore, seeing as both of his tributes have died.
Marvel took an arrow to the chest courtesy of the Girl on Fire. Like he did with Glimmer, Adonis ventured down to the makeshift morgue, and paid his respects to his fallen tribute.
