Gladiators -- Clato

-The Feast-

Hey guys!! This was a difficult chapter to write, because I wanted to preserve Clove's monologue without using the exact words as the book. So i did change up some of the orders and phrases a bit, I hope you guys enjoy and I will have the next chapter out shortly!!!
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We wake at dawn the next morning. The night was bone-chillingly cold and I wanted nothing more than to share my heat with Cato, but instead the two of us shivered all night. The sun rises over the canopy and I watch as Cato puts on his freshly washed jacket. It's then that I utter the first word I've spoken in what seems like forever.

"Do we have a plan?" I ask.

"You're faster than I am," Cato says. I'm relieved that his voice is no longer angry. "It would make more sense for you to run in and grab the stuff."

"What about Katniss?" I ask.

"I'll hunt around the outskirts of the forest for her and Thresh. They're probably going to hang back until they see that we've gone."

"And if they dont?"

"Then you kill them." He says this last part harshly. "If it's Katniss, you give them good show. You have to."

"I thought you wanted to kill her yourself," I mutter.

"Doesn't matter what I want at this point. You see her, you kill her. violently."

I nod. "Make sure you stay near enough to hear me."

He glances at me. "You can handle yourself," He replies.

"To be safe," I say adamantly. "Unless you really don't care."

"Fine. But just grab the stuff and come back to camp. Kill whoever you see. Don't linger." He states. "Call out if you need me."

This last sentence lingers with me. Even after all this, He somehow is still thinking of my safety.

I think about it all the way to the edge of the forest. This is where Cato and I bid each other farewell.

We stand in front of each other tersely, not sure what to say. Cato stares at me wordlessly, eyebrows furrowed as if in thought. He signs, and looks away. "Don't get yourself killed," He grunts. "I don't want your blood on my hands."

"you, too." I murmur. Somehow, neither of us makes a move to leave.

"I'll see you on the other side," He says.

"See you on the other side."

I nod, and then he turns around and disappears into the forest. I watch him until he falls from my sight and a strange emptiness fills me. I quickly shake it off, marking my way east until the side of the cornucopia comes into view.

I get there just in time to see Finch dart out from the mouth of the huge metal structure with a small bag in tow. The urge to run out and kill her makes me itch, but i remind myself I have bigger fish to catch.

I stalk out of my hiding spot, making sure to stay obscured by the Cornucopia as I advance foreward.

And then I see her. She's skinnier than I remember, her braid in disarray, but there she is. Running like the wind towards the bags on the Cornucopias pedestal.

That's when I make a break for it. Her hand has merely grazed the surface of her small bag when I send my knife flying. It opens a long gash down her forehead, which immediately starts pouring blood.

Even in her confusion, Katniss loads up an arrow and lets it go before I have time to dodge it. I scream as it lodges in my upper arm and I yank it out, ducking just in time to avoid her second arrow. This bitch is good.

But not good enough. She squeals as I ram into her and send her onto the ground with my entire body weight. She's a little bigger than me, but had nowhere near the amount of muscle and power that I do.

I press my hand down over her mouth, and barely have time to draw it away before the bitch bites me. I shriek and send a harsh slap into her face as a punishment.

We wrestle, We scratch, scream, kick, punch, rolling around on the grassy ground together. it takes what seems like a full two minutes to subdue her, but I manage to pin her down by her legs and arms. She writhes furiously below me, squealing in resistance. I send a hard elbow into her throat to stop her.

I look deeply into her terrified eyes, and know I can slit her throat and bleed the life out of her right here and now. But I remember Cato's words. That I have to make it good. For them.

"Well well, look what the cat dragged in," I coo, smiling darkly down at the squirming girl. "District Twelve. I wonder what's in that pretty little bag of yours. Maybe...medicine for lover boy?"

She bares her teeth. "No, he's out hunting Cato right now." And then she tips her head back and screams Peeta's name at the top of her lungs.

I punch her in the windpipe, and she chokes and spatters on her words. "hmm." I look down at her face. "And who was that other little girl? The one who jumped through the trees? Rue?" I click my younger mercilessly, enjoying the silent rage in Katniss's eyes. The satisfaction I get from finally beating her down is euphoric, and I giggle.

"Well, we killed her. And now, we're going to kill you." I open my knife jacket, revealing my impressive number of knives, all varied. I watch as her eyes widen in terror as I pull out a deadly curved number.

"Guess you won't have much of a use for those lips anymore," I mock. "Cato said that if he let me have you, I'd have to put on a good show. Wanna blow lover boy one last kiss?"

At this, she steels herself and send a disgusting wad of spit and blood into my face. Wiping it off angrily, I pull my dagger out with one hand and hold her face in my other, tilting it from side to side. I lay my blade down on her cheek, and the excitement of it is just impossible to resist. I find myself grinning as I press my knife down on her skin. "Where to start..."

And then, the unthinkable happens. Something happens that never should have been allowed to. A gigantic force pulls me from the scruff of my uniform and lifts me two feet into the air, slamming my frame against the metal side of the Cornucopia.

It's Thresh, and he's going to kill me.