Careers Have Feelings Too | CLATO | GLARVEL |

Chapter 17

GLIMMER POV

When we heard the explosion, it was too late. 

The run back to the lake felt like forever, and by the time we reach our camp, the sight in front of me is enough to make me want to break down. 

All our supplies. Everything. It's all on fire, or worse, already burnt to ashes that are blowing in the wind. I stop abruptly ahead of the the line of trees, and watch as the others run forward, powerless in the wake of the bonfire. I can't move. I am a Career by the skin of my teeth. Now our group has nothing. So now what do I do?

Cato gets angry. He starts yelling at anything he can find. At the sky, at the remains of our stuff, at Clove, at me, at the boy from Three, at Marvel, anything. I wince as he kicks a burning backpack and is visibly shocked by the burn.

"Water, get water!" Marvel is shouting. 

The boy from Three is backing away from the group slowly, and I see Cato notice him retreating. He charges over to the kid, who tries to turn and run, but Cato has him in a headlock from behind in seconds. It only takes a small flick of Cato's wrist for the boy to die. 

Immediately a cannon goes off.

"You!" he shouts, turning towards me. "You spotted that fire! Nobody was stupid enough to leave that much smoke, it was a trap!" He's marching towards me now, and I cower away. 

"I- I didn't, we all went, I'm sorry," I stammer. Maybe this is it. I see a flare in his eye, and in an instant, my friend is gone. He could kill me. 

But Clove's there, running up behind him and shoving his back, hard. Cato stumbles forward, and whips around, poised to fight her. I watch as Clove ducks a punch that he swings at her, and fly kicks him straight in the stomach. He totters, folding over in pain. 

I'm still just standing there stupidly, amazed at Clove. She went for him without hesitating. 

Marvel is frantically trying to grab burning supplies and throw them in the lake. 

"What are you doing?" Clove screams. "Were you going to fight her? What the fuck is wrong with you?" 

Cato looks up, winded, but angry. He gets to his feet, his large frame towering over Clove. "Obviously not! I'm pissed off! I'm not going to kill her! But if you wanna fight, Clove, I'll fight!" 

He throws another punch at her, but she's quick. She dodges his arm, and leaps backward, out of his reach. 

"Right, ok. You wanna fight me?" She snarls. "Come on! I didn't make the fire! I didn't blow up our stuff! But if you wanna ditch this alliance, go ahead!" 

"Oh, you think you don't need us? You think you can survive by yourself? Go ahead, try it out!" Cato yells, ready to go for her again.

Marvel's there in an instant, getting in between the two of them, and holding his hands out. Cato looks like a bull ready to charge, and Clove's hair is wild about her face. 

"Stop it!" Marvel shouts. "Stop, now!" 

Clove tries to dodge around him, but Marvel grabs her by the shoulders and shoves her away, hard. Her legs give way, and she stumbles and hits the floor. I tentatively step forward. 

"Everybody, stop!" Marvel says again. "There's no point in this! Our stuff is gone, and fighting each other is not going to help anything! We need to fight whoever blew them up!" 

I walk over, closer to the group. The bonfire behind us burns, obscenely blasting us with heat from our own supplies. 

"Guys," I say quietly. All three of them turn to me, their faces riled and flushed. "If either of you want to quit, the alliance, go now. I'd rather you left, and we didn't kill each other. Please."