Down The Rabbit Hole

Cato's POV

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5…4…3…2…1…

We ran, as fast as our legs could push us we ran. We ran towards the promise of survival and the promise of death. I reached my weapon first, they may say that all of the platforms are equidistant but there are some that are closer. I grabbed my sword and spun at the person behind me.

"Watch it!" Katniss growled ducking below the blade and rushing on for the bow. My eyes searched desperately for Clove but I soon had to give up and deal with the blood that needed shedding. At least these Games would be different. At least this time the blood wasn't on my hands. I shoved my sword through the District 3 male tribute. The boy fell and I removed my sword looking for my next victim.

"Gale!" I heard behind me, but I couldn't look behind me to see why Katniss had yelled.

"Here you go," Rue appeared beside me and handed me a sword she had retrieved from the inside of the cornucopia. "It seems more your style," she said. I examined the sword and smiled seeing a dagger hidden inside the hilt of the sword.

"Thanks," I said nodding to her and approaching my next victim.

"Here we are," Katniss appeared next to Rue with Gale and Clove. Clove had a dagger in her upper leg and looked absolutely murderous.

"Where's Thresh?" I asked backing into the group to hold the cornucopia.

"He went after a girl from 10," Rue said. "She took the weapon he wanted."

"He's unarmed?" I asked worried.

"Yes."

"Go after him Rue, you have your whip?"

"Yes, I'll go," she ran off into the forest quickly scaling a tree and jumping from branch to branch.

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(Flashback) "You're sure you want them here?" Haymitch asked wearily looking at Clove, Rue, Thresh, Glimmer, and myself. His question was of course directed to Katniss, his daughter or whatever. I usually didn't harbor resentment towards Katniss but my stomach was doing flip flops and I was annoyed with everyone who wasn't Clove.

"Yes, we're the career pack this year, and we're, well we're more than that. So it's a good idea if we see this together."

"Marvel of District 1," Ceasar's voice came on the screen and everyone looked towards it. "A score of 8," he said. "Glimmer of District 1, a score of 7." She looked away from the group. The list went on and on, Cato got an 11 Clove got a 10. Thresh got a 9, Rue got a 9 as well. Gale got a 10 and Katniss got an 11.

"We're looking good team," I said.

"We have dominating scores," Katniss agreed.

"If they had a crossbow I'd be in better shape," Glimmer said still not looking at everyone.

"So why did this guy come instead of lover boy?" Haymitch asked.

"Gale is better equipped to help us, plus Peeta's looking after Venus," Katniss said.

"Who's Venus?"

"She's our daughter." Haymitch's head shot back in surprise. "A lot has happened since we last spoke,"

"Apparently so," he said.

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"How does it look?" Gale asked.

"Pathetic, too many of them ran away, we got five," I glared at the bodies.

"You can't blame them," Katniss said rummaging through the cornucopia. "We've all done this before and we had a lot of the higher scores last time and they only got better this time."

"Well some of us got better some of us stayed the same," I smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes at me and began packing and unpacking bags. "What are you doing Katniss?" I asked.

"We can't stay at the cornucopia this time Cato, they'll be expecting that."

"Clove can't move very far," I said walking over to her to examine the dagger in her leg.

"I'll be fine, just get it out," she grumbled looking away from it.

"We can't just pull it out Clove," I said looking at the place it was lodged.

She gripped the handle and yanked it out. "Wrap it," she hissed at me.

"Yes ma'am," I said as Katniss tossed me a bag she filled with medical supplies. "Here we go," I rubbed some ointment on it, sparingly as Katniss reminded me. I then took some bandages and wrapped the injury. "If you can't keep up just tell me and I'll carry you ok?"

"I'll be fine Cato," she insisted.

"Good then let's get moving," Gale said.

"We should wait for Rue and Thresh," Katniss said.

"Has anyone seen Glimmer?" Clove suddenly asked.

"I knew we couldn't trust her," Katniss muttered tossing Gale two backpacks. "You and I will take two to make up for Clove and Glimmer."

"What about the ones for Rue and Thresh?" he asked.

"Here," she quickly packed another and threw two to me as well.

"Let's go," I helped Clove stand and we all walked in the direction that Rue and Thresh had gone.

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AN: OMG YAY! Please review.