That night I slept fitfully, because the next day we would be going into the arena. In the morning, I dressed slowly and followed Palla to the hovercraft where we would be taken to the Launch Room. Once there, I changed my clothes and dressed in the fitted black jumpsuit made of sheer material that was half-an-inch thick with zippers down the front. The suit came with a padded belt covered in black plastic which was filled with a purple gel which Palla informed me could be used as a flotation device. The shoes were nylon with rubber soles, and fit my feet snugly.

"It will have water," I murmured. "I don't know how to swim."

Palla sighed, "Then I wish you the best of luck, Larka. I'm rooting for you."

"Thank you."

I stepped onto the launch pad, my heart pounding in my chest and the roar of blood echoing in my ears. This could be my final moment with Palla. Hell, this could be my final moment alive if I drowned or fell in the Bloodbath. Palla smiled, waving at me before the pad began to move and suddenly I was in the arena. Waves lapped gently against the pedestal, and my hands clenched into fists as my eyes roved around the circle of gathered tributes. Across from me, almost hidden by the Cornucopia was Cato and I could see that his eyes were watching me just like I was watching him. Next to Cato was Beetee, and not too far away from the both of them were Finnick, Johanna, and Peeta. I assumed Katniss to be hidden by the Cornucopia.

Looking to my sides, I saw that I was surrounded by people who I could only consider enemies – Enobaria, Gloss, and Cashmere. Enobaria smirked at me, baring her teeth in a ferocious grin and I paled. I didn't think I was going to make it out of here alive. My eyes turned from my competitors to the Cornucopia, as I tried to discern what weapons were there. But from this distance I couldn't tell. My only hope would be to get to the Cornucopia before anyone else could.

The chances of that happening seemed unlikely.

The bell toll sounded and then the Games began. I hovered anxiously on my pedestal as everyone either dove into the water or leapt onto the craggy rocks leading to the Cornucopia. After a moment of hesitation, I jumped off, my feet slipping and sliding on the wet rocks and then I was sprinting toward the Cornucopia as fast as I could. It wasn't fast enough, since I was trying to keep my balance, and by the time I got there the Victors were facing off against each other. Cato was locked in combat with Cashmere, while I could see Gloss going after Katniss who had a bow. Cato knocked Cashmere away from him, driving her toward the water.

I rushed past the male Morphiling from District 5, as Woof attacked him. Any camaraderie that had existed between the Victors before was gone now. I grabbed a backpack, whirling around just as the male from Five rushed me. I backpedaled away from him, shrieking as he slashed at me with a machete, raising the bag in front of me as a meager form of defense. The machete sliced through the bag of the fabric like butter and vital supplies like food and medicine tumbled to the ground.

The male from Five advanced on me, pressing me toward the mouth of the Cornucopia. And then my saving grace arrived – Cato. He descended on Five like an avenging angel, knocking the offender away from me, a deadly grace in his movements and a murderous look in his eyes. With the male from Five sufficiently occupied by Cato, I made a grab for another bag and as fast as I could I packed the items from the ripped bag into the new one I had grabbed.

I straightened up, eyes scanning around the Cornucopia for weapons – I definitely couldn't remain defenseless. A cannon boomed, making me jump and I streaked toward the mouth of the Cornucopia beginning to rifle for weapons. My fingers curled around the hilt of a familiar knife, and eagerly I pulled out several sets of butterfly knives and stilettos. Rising to my feet, I quickly armed myself and then was jogging toward Cato with the backpack slung over one shoulder. He turned, hearing me come up behind him and minutely his stance relaxed.

"Get into the jungle, I'll be right behind you," he told me.

I nodded quickly, leaping across the craggy rocks until I was on the beach, just miles away from the jungle. It was only moments before Cato joined me, two more backpacks in his grasp and a cut on his cheek. A cannon boomed and our eyes darted toward the tributes still fighting around the Cornucopia, and a few that had made their way to the beach.

"Go."

I obeyed without question. I didn't want to stay around the other tributes any longer than necessary. Periodically as we headed deeper into the forest, I glanced over my shoulder fearing that other tributes were following us with the goal to pick us off. Cato nudged me roughly, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Relax, we aren't being followed Larka," he told me. "If we were, I would know."

"Because you're from Two?"

"No. Because they'd be making a lot of noise." He squeezed my shoulder gently. "Relax."

"Easy for you to say," I muttered. "You scored an eleven in training, and you technically are still a Career. You have an advantage over us from lowly District 3."

"You won the 74th Hunger Games too, Larka. You're just as equipped as the rest of us are. There is no sense in belittling your victory or yourself, just because you feel helpless." His words were slightly harsh but they held some merit, and so I fell quiet.

In a sense, he was right. I shouldn't be acting as if this was my first Hunger Games, because even though it didn't feel like it, I had been one of the Victors of the 74th Hunger Games. I was just as capable as any participant here, except for perhaps Gloss, Cashmere, or Enobaria who had the ruthlessness that I very much lacked.

"Find a place to rest, and then we'll come up with a strategy," Cato said.

Right. We needed to get Katniss out of the arena and to District 13. I had almost forgotten about that. I swallowed, looking down at the ground. The Mockingjay came first, and if the rest of us died while getting her out, District 13 wouldn't care.

We were just collateral damage.