Sorry its been so long, but here is chapter 9 :)

Chapter 9

"Parry, lunge… high kick, high kick…" Dancing round the training room with a sword in my hand was exhilarating, especially since this time? I actually had a decent sparring partner, whom I could also learn from. Sparring, with both weaponry and without, was the one thing I truly loved. The one thing that gave me freedom. In these moments, I held the power over my opponent, knowing I decided their fate. Only if they were worthy would I spare them. This was the first time I'd encountered a loss.

The presence of the scimitar at my neck was overwhelming, drawing me back into my memories. Once my father had become officially deceased, I vowed that I would never be in a position where I was vulnerable. I would break any upper hand my opponents had against me, I never went anywhere without my beloved knives. Fighting became a natural instinct.

"Five minutes Katniss. Appalling. A true fighter would have lasted longer." Never mind the fact I lasted twice as long as Male 2, the best fighter amongst this pack of Careers. In response, I swept her legs from under her whilst jumping up. Spinning I delivered a kick straight to the head of Female 1; Male 1 went down as he rushed to the aid of his fellow district tribute, falling after a throw over the shoulder and a finishing punch to the gut. Male 2 was the last one standing. I laughed, quietly. He truly thought he would beat me? In a split second, one of my concealed knives was flicked out and was flashing towards Male 2, followed closely by a high kick. The knife bit deeply into Male 2's shoulder, yet he seemed to snap out of his revere enough to dodge the kick… right into the path of another knife. With one knife in each of his shoulders, a natural, primal instinct took over. Throughout the whole of the duel he had been calling out malicious, if juvenile, taunts… and something inside of me wished for him to know that he was inferior… inferior to me. Smirking at his leering face, I twisted under his torso to flip him over my shoulder with the knives, digging them even further into his flesh, rich blood running over my hands and dripping onto the floor. He was unable to challenge me further.

Locking my eyes onto his, I lifted my knife hand towards my mouth, removing the blood with a long sweep of my tongue. My lips curled up into a smile, my canines coated with blood. "Sorry Cato. It seems you're not as much of a leader as you thought… you can't beat defenceless, helpless Katniss from District 12. Look at me, not one scratch… I think that is a win for me." His face turned into a murderess expression, filled with rage. Chuckling darkly, I strolled up to the so called leader of the Careers and ran a hand over his face. Leaning up to whisper in his ear, I watched as his face contorted even further. Pressing my bloody lips to his cheek, I backed away to the door, saluting Clove with my knife. After seeing one returned, I pivoted on the spot and ambled through the door without waiting to see the consequences of my actions.

"… Such a failure."

Only two more days till the arena. Only two more days until the first bloodbath. And until the day when Loverboy would be killed by my hand. Yet… maybe, just maybe, it would be more fun to watch him observe his tribute partner cut down all the poor, defenceless tributes without a care in the world except for her love of seeing the blood run out of their wounds as they bled to death. Then he would most likely realize that he was next, and try to run. Run little Loverboy, run like the coward you are. I was so caught up in my dream of killing my fellow district tribute that I didn't realize that my fingers were running through the flames of the candle lighting my room, illuminating it in blues and blacks.

Opening my eyes slowly, my sight registered the fact that it was still night, still dark… still the hours of death. The idiotic rules didn't come into play for some time yet, not until dawn. Suddenly there was a pressing need to get away, to be away from the presence of people who wished to change me, who had no wish to see blood or death. Who did not understand my joy in the very things they despised. Taking delight in the silence of the training complex, so similar to that I dreamed to happen in the arena, I walked out onto the roof to gaze over the view of the Capitol, and the night time rush. So silent, yet so much was happening. How I wished to kill the Capitol idiots, watch as their blood ran together in one stream of agony, pain… and pleasure. A fight is not a fight if only one person is injured; you can't feel the rush of adrenaline when you know you have an opponent on par with your skills… that will actually fight rather that cower away. An indomitable spirit.

A noise behind me alerted my senses to an intruder, and in a flash my knife arm was pressed up against their neck with a knife concealed in the hand, pushing their body up against the wall. Looking up, my eyes took in the features of one of the careers… the one whom had been on my thoughts more often that the rest, mainly when I was trying to figure out ways to kill him… and trying to figure out this alien emotion that crept up whenever he was around. I'd classed it as a predator instinct. Cato Hadley.

His eyebrow was raised, and a smirk was dancing on his lips, while his eyes betrayed a barely concealed hatred amongst a myriad of other emotions. Taking advantage of my momentary pause, he reversed our positions. Bored, I slung my arm round his neck before leaning back against the wall, manoeuvring the knife carefully into a different position.

"Hello Katniss." I smiled sweetly, waiting for him to make a move so I could actually have a chance to do more damage… I wondered whether his shoulders were healed yet. Shaking my head, I locked eyes with Male 2. "Hello… Failure." His grip inadvertently tightened, his arm pressed harder against my neck. He whispered almost, just almost, menacingly; "Do… not… call me that. Or you will find yourself dead within the first thirty seconds of the bloodbath. I do not want you in the Careers; it is only due to my deluded mentor and district partner that you are one. I am still your leader, and I have no care for the Alliance when it comes to you. Disobey me, and say hello to Hades."

I just laughed in his face. "Failure, just remember that I can handle weapons just as well as you, better even, and I can beat you in a spar. You're not fit to be a leader if one of your followers is better and stronger than you. I think you'll find, Failure, that it would be you greeting Death if you even attempt to kill me." Twisting under his arm, I dragged him over to the railings. Revealing the knife in my hand, I challenged him to a rematch if he so desired one. Instead, catching me unawares, he strolled towards the other end of the roof to gaze out over the Capitol, eerily similar to my previous actions not half an hour ago.

"And yet, Katniss Everdeen, I was chosen to be the leader over the thousands in the Career district. Enobaria still chooses me over anyone else; I've beaten her more times than you can count, seriously injuring her in many of those spars. You believe you are amazing and unbeatable by winning once against the Careers; do you not realize the fact that we may be toning down our abilities? Do you not realize that we have been training officially our whole lives to become the best of the best? You have no idea just who you are up against. And this will get you killed."

Pushing back off the railing, he sauntered up to where I was stood, a smirk playing on his lips, promising pain.

"Dead… by my hand, little prey."

He disappeared through the door to the training complex… narrowly missing a knife thrown at his head.

The short, impromptu meeting with the leader of the Careers left me shaken, and awoke a burning desire to see blood. Cato's blood. I may not know what he might be capable of, yet I did know one thing. He doesn't know what I am capable of, either. I know more about survival than he would ever know, and in the end, that would be the difference between which one of us would live and which would die. The survival of the fittest.

I ignored the pitiful attempts of my district's entourage at conversation, directing a hateful gaze at Loverboy when he tried to force me to turn. He flinched violently, and started to shake unnoticeably, prompting the rest of the entourage to start reprimanding my actions. Increasing my pace, I strolled nonchalantly towards the appearance of the Careers and their entourage at the entrance of the training halls, silently laughing at the look of betrayal on Loverboy's face as I embraced Clove and Glimmer before shaking hands with the Males. "Let us train then my fellow Careers."

I indicated the way with another one of my knives as I shared a sidelong glance with Clove. The malicious mirth was dancing in her eyes as it were in my own, and I observed as she mouthed one word to me while sneaking a look at Loverboy.

"Dead."