Again, Cato's POV, with small liberties taken. Needless to say, some violence!

The Hunger Games, Part Two

I have to stand on the metal disc for sixty seconds. Otherwise, I'll be blown to pieces. As I wait for the countdown to end, I look around at the other tributes. There's Clove, intent on what I guess is a pack of knives. There's the two from Twelve, Peeta and Katniss. In the great cold cornucopia, there is everything we need to survive: food, water, weapons. The least valuable things are farthest from the cornucopia. Inside the cornucopia are the most important things. From my vantage point, I can see what looks like a wicked sword deep inside the cornucopia.

I look around the arena: A forest, lake and flat ground. Great place to hunt. I catch Clove's eye and give her a slight nod as the gong rings out. I leap off the disc and run to the nearest weapon: a small sword. I grab it and run the nearest tribute, slitting his throat. I pick up a small silver Thermos that he had. I grin then run after another tribute, stabbing her with my sword. I make my way into the cornucopia, where I take out another tribute. Behind me, I hear someone's cry of pain. My focus is on the array of swords before me. I pull out the middle one: a long double-edged sword. I turn back around, and it seems that the bloodbath is over. Bodies litter the area. I walk out into the grassy area, sword at the ready. But most of the tributes now have either fled or are dead.

Clove runs up to me. "I almost had her!"

"Katniss?"

"Yes! The boy from district 9 was standing over her; I think they were fighting over a backpack or something. I killed him, and tried to kill that bitch, but my knife got stuck in her backpack and she ran off."

"We'll get her, no worries." I tell her. "Where's she going to go? In fact…we need to find her partner. Peeta. He'll lead us straight to her. And then, Clove, you can use your knives on her."

Clove giggles and we go to the loot that is still left over. We find some food, bread and fruit.

"We should find the other Careers," Clove suggests.

"Already here," a female voice says from behind me. I turn to see Glimmer and Marvel. Marvel has some sort of knife, and Glimmer a set of bow and arrows.
"What do you think?" I ask.

"We need to pick off these other tributes," Marvel says, sitting down on one of the packages. "But I think we should wait until tonight."

"Look!" Clove shouts, pointing. Walking towards us is Peeta. Glimmers readies her bow and arrow. I touch her shoulder. "Wait," I tell her, "let's see what he wants."

"Don't shoot," he says, with his hands up. "I have a proposition for you. I want to form an alliance."

I raise my sword, touching his chest. "What if we don't want you to? I could kill you right here, right now."

He shrugs. "I have talent." He points to Clove. "She saw me kill a tribute with a knife. Besides, it'll be worth your time for me to join you."

I look at Clove. She nods as I turn back to Peeta. "You're brave, you know, approaching us like this."

He doesn't flinch. "Not interested? Okay. I just think it'd be easier for you guys to kill the others with more people."

"Fine," I say.

I sheath my sword and address the other tributes: "Let's go hunting!"

Darkness falls as we wander through the trees. There's a loud boom and Clove gasps.

"The cannons," Glimmer murmurs. We listen as the cannon tolls today's death: eleven in all. The hovercrafts must have collected the bodies now that we've left the cornucopia.

Marvel hands me a pair of sunglasses.

"What are these?" I ask.

"Night vision," he responds, slipping on his own pair. "It'll make it easier for us to find the unfortunates."

We hunt for a while, but find nothing. Then Clove stops as the anthem begins to play. We look up at the floating screen in the sky. We watch as the dead are listed: one from District 3, one from 4, one from 5, both of the tributes from 6 and 7. The boy from 8 and both from 9. And finally, the girl from 10.

We walk on in silence for what seems like eternity when Clove stops short.

"Do you smell that?" she asks.

I nod. "Smoke."

Glimmer laughs. "What idiot thought it'd be a good idea to light a fire at night? Do they want to die?"

I scan the woods. It's heavily wooded, but I can see a faint orange glow: a fire. "There," I point.

We quietly sneak up on the tribute, who turns out to be the girl from district 8. We are no longer in a pack; we've surrounded the girl, who is sleeping by the fire. "Now," I yell.

We run up to her. I'm first to reach her, my sword point on her throat.

"No, please," She begs, "Don't kill me."

"No, please," Clove mimics, making Gimmer smirk.

I stab the girl through the stomach and she screams.

"Twelve down, eleven to go," Marvel hoots, and Clove and Glimmer cheer happily.

I kneel, cleaning my sword off in the grass. "See what she has on her."

I hear them rustling, but from their sounds of disappointment I can tell that she had nothing good on her. "Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts to smell," I say. We head towards a clump of willow trees when Glimmer stops.

"Shouldn't we have heard the cannon?" she asks.

"I'd think so. We've left the body; they can come and get her," Clove says.

"Unless she's not dead," Glimmer says.

"She's dead; I stabbed her myself," I snap.

"Someone should go check," Marvel says.

We argue, then Peeta steps into the fray. "Enough! I'll go kill her myself!"

I look to the trees; I could have sworn I heard some rustling. Probably nothing, I tell myself, probably animals.

I scoff. "Go on then, Lover Boy. Go see."

Peeta stomps off to finish off the girl. Clove turns to me.

"Why don't we just kill him now and get it over with?"

I shake my head. "Let him tag along. What's the harm? He was pretty handy with that knife earlier. Besides, he'll lead us right to her."

Clove scoffs. "You think she fell for that oh-i-love-you crap?"

"She might have. She seemed pretty stupid to me. Remember her spinning in that dress?" Glimmer laughs.

Marvel stares in the direction Peeta went. "Wish I knew how she got that eleven."

"Bet you Peeta knows," Clove says.

The sound of snapping twigs lets us know that Peeta is retuning, and we fall silent.

"Was she dead?" I ask.

"She is now," Peeta says as the cannon fires.

"Great," I smile. "Let's go back to the cornucopia."

We take off at a run as the sounds of birdsong fills the air.