A/N: I forgot to mention that this is not my first attempt at writing fanfiction but it is with publishing so please let me know what you all think. =) Review!

Chapter 3:

When Katniss saw the large wall of blazing fire coming their way she immediately kicked back into gear. Katniss slapped Clove across the face the girl was a damn heavy sleeper and there was no time in talking. Clove woke up pissed and was about to curse at the girl but then she saw the fire and knew now was the time to run like hell.

Katniss jumped from the tree and Clove quickly threw down their packs and followed not a second after. Throwing their packs over their shoulders the two girls made a dash through the dense forest for their lives. Clove could hear the loud roar of the fire and feel it's immense heat even from the far distance that they were at now. But the fire was moving fast and engulfed all in it's path.

Katniss spotted some animals making a run from the fire as well and tried keeping up with them trusting their instincts to lead them all to safety. Clove saw what Katniss was doing and made sure to keep up with the rabbits and deers as they ran in a certain direction. But it was now proving difficult to following them as black smoke from the fire filled the air.

Both Katniss and Clove lost sight of the animals which was their compass in the black suffocating clouds from the fire. Clove cursed as she ran like never before. Katniss ran just as fast but then she tripped over an unearth tree vine and fell. Clove made to help her back up but something told her to fall to the earth. Boom! Clove's eyes widened as she witness a fire ball shoot across the forest with lighting speed that almost took her out.

Clove recovered and tried to get Katniss to her feet but the girl was having trouble breathing. Katniss began hacking up black sooth and bile but Clove dragged her to her feet . Boom! Boom! More fire balls were hurled their way both the girls barely dodge them.

The entire world has turned into flame and smoke burning branches cracked and fell all around them. Showers of flaming hot embers fell on Katniss's skin and she scream from the pain. Clove needed to find them a away from the path of the oncoming fire and fast. The district 2 girl spotted a pack of wild dogs running through the trees and she pulled Katniss their way as they both followed them.

A large fire ball flew through air and had manage to hit one of the dogs in the pack. The dog howled in pain but his pack members could do nothing for him as the rest of his body became one with the fires. If we don't get away soon enough that's gonna be us burning to a fucking crisp! Thought Clove.

Katniss ran choking but she kept up with Clove as best she could, and she realize that this wasn't a tribute's camp fire gone out control, no accidental occurrence. The flames that bear down on her and Clove have an unnatural height, a uniformity that marks them as human-made, machine-made, Gamemaker-made. Things in the arena have been far to quiet and calm lately. Very little deaths have occurred and hardly any to no fights at all. The audience in the Capitol will be getting bored, claiming that these Games are verging on dullness. This is the one thing the Games must not do. But Katniss should have seen it coming sooner.

It's not hard to follow the Gamemakers' motivation. There is the Career pack and then there is Katniss and Clove, and the rest of the tributes who are all probably spread far and thin across the arena. This fire is designed to flush everyone out, and to drive all the tributes together. It may not be the most original device but it was very, very effective.

A loud hissing sound filled Clove's ears and she pushed Katniss out of the way before the girl was hit with a fire ball. Katniss regained her footing and they both ran onwards leaping over burning fallen trees. The smoke was now all around them and Katniss could not see Clove anywhere. Katniss tried to slow down a bit hoping Clove didn't fall behind but a hurling fire ball broke her thoughts. She managed to dodge that but Katniss was losing focus and the smoke in her lungs did not help her one bit. Katniss slowed down for a min to try and catch what little bit of air she could the fire was a little bit further off but the smoke and flying fire balls kept her on her feet.

"Clove!" called Katniss, "Clove!" She received no answer the smoke was just to thick, and before she even thought to dodge a fire ball flew at her fast. Katniss didn't notice at first that her long braided hair was burned six inches shorter nor did she notice that the tail end of her jacket had caught aflame. But she did notice the searing pain of her burning cafe made from the fire ball. Katniss patted her leg trying to kill the flames that was burning her flesh. Katniss screamed from the pain and that's when Clove finally heard her.

Clove ran through the engulfed forest towards the direction Katniss's scream came from. Clove nearly passed out from the shock of seeing Katniss badly injured. The girl was laying on the floor with a severly burned leg and the smoke in Katniss's lungs made her vomit what ever contents she had in her stomach. Clove ran to the girl and helped to help her on her feet. "Come on Katniss we at least need to get out of this zone and away from the fire." Clove pleaded to the hurt girl.

Katniss allowed Clove to support her left side as she couldn't put her weight on her right leg it hurt too much. Clove knew that the Gamemakers had a certain areas designed for certain events and, it soon hit her that if she and Katniss could make it pass the clearing further away from them they would be safe. Even though the clearing would leave them exposed Clove didn't really care so long as she got Katniss and herself to safety.

More fire balls flew in every direction and Clove couldn't do much to dodge them but only they would miss them both. Whoosh! Clove yelled from the pain in her arm that had been hit by a fire ball. Clove had to let Katniss go so she could pat the flames on her arm down but it wasn't as bad as Katniss's wound not even close. Clove regained her hold on Katniss and lead them both closer to the clearing.

Clove saw a pale girl with red hair dodging fire balls and running as fast as any deer as they were hurling at her. Clove recognized the girl from district 5 and saw that she to was making a break for the clearing in the middle of the arena near the Cornucopia. Within a clearing there is no wood, no trees and that meant the fire could not spread!

They were close now and the fire balls began slowing down until none was seen or heard again. Clove and Katniss fell down on unburned grass catching their breaths. Both of the girls was covered in black grimy ash and anything else that got burned along the way.

After resting for a while Clove knew that they had to leave before other tributes showed up or the career pack. Clove nudge Katniss but the girl didn't open her eyes . "Dammit!" yelled Clove. She picked up Katniss and carried the girl across the clearing into woods close to the lake. Wrapping Katniss's arms tightly around her neck Clove placed her arms underneath Katniss's legs to keep her hoisted up on her back and made her way to the lake. Clove silently prayed that the other careers were not there because she needed to tend to Katniss who was breathing even more shallow than before.

The careers had made it out of the woods and into the clearing just as Clove disappeared into forest carrying Katniss that was untouched by the fires. Cato staggered and fell on the ground coughing and wheezing. Glimmer was crying about her hair that had smoke wafting off it and was desperately patting it. Marvel and Peeta soon followed out in the clearing after them.

"Damn those Gamemakers." Marvel huffed out. The spear boy fell out on the ground laying face up breathing hard. He heard Glimmer whimpering about her ruined hair that was black at the ends and he smiled up at her. "Oh my Glimmer how so does your hair simmer?" mock Marvel. Glimmer flip him the bird and asked him how his balls have been feeling lately. Marvel turned beat red then he sauntered off to join Cato. There was nothing more satisfying then having a go at your own medicine.

"It's not the end of the world just cut the burned bits of your hair off." stated Cato. The look Glimmer gave him was of horror and anger. "Do you freaking see how much of my hair is burned it's at least seven or eight inches of black shit!" screeched Glimmer. "Maybe if I just wash it off it will be fine." Glimmer said hopefully.

Peeta just rolled his at the girl they were all in here fighting for their survival and she was having a heart attack over her ruined hair. Peeta sat off on his own putting distance between him and the careers he truly hated them. I hope Katniss made it out alright, thought Peeta as his heart went out to the girl he has always been in love with. He wondered if Katniss knew he was tagging along with the careers and what she would think about the whole thing. She'd probably think I was trying to sell her out or something but I'm. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, that's what Peeta kept saying to himself. But Peeta believed that by joining up with the careers was the right thing to do at least for Katniss's sake.

Cato and Marvel began surveying the area it was just them here. "I wonder where the other tributes are I bet those scared little bastards flew when they saw us." Marvel snickered tossing up a long silver spear in the air and catching it as it fell. Cato knew the other tributes fled through here he could see foot prints and traces of black ash left on the green grass. "I bet some are at the lake near the Cornucopia it made sense to go there after the fire." stated Cato the large boy ran his hands through his cropped blonde hair and focused on breathing regularly again. A sharp glint struck Cato in his right eye and he saw something shining in the grass by his boot. Cato bent down to pick up a knife but not just any knife it was one of Clove's throwing knife. Cato thought it must have fallen off while she was running in this direction. The tall boy examined the knife holding it up towards the sunlight. It's been barely used, he thought. It's obvious that Clove hasn't been making any kills or putting knives to good use these last few days.

Marvel stepped closer to see what Cato was looking at. The district 1 boy smiled a toothy smile at the knife. "So our little renegade has been through here oh hell yes she and that district 12 bitch are sure to be close." Marvel said as he ran around with gleeful eyes searching for any more signs of the two girls.

Glimmer sat beside Peeta smiling at him while still petting and rubbing her hair. "You know when we find her she's dead." Peeta only stared back at the girl next to him. "And you think you're the one to do it huh?" asked Peeta. Glimmer stopped tending to her hair and shot him a look. "Are you saying that I don't have what it takes to take out that little poor bitch!" Glimmer demanded. Peeta smiled at her and said, "That's exactly what I' m saying." Glimmer then lost all control and slapped Peeta hard across his cheek.

A long line of blood formed where Glimmer's nail had cut Peeta's skin. Peeta only laughed at her and wiped away the blood. Glimmer made to strike him again but Cato caught her hand in mid air. "Calm down he's only trying to get a rise out of you and it appears to be working." Cato said. Glimmer yanked her hand from Cato's grip and shot Peeta and deathly glare. "When your usefulness has run dry I will be more than happy to to finish your ass off." threaten Glimmer.

Cato and Peeta watched the angry girl stomp off and joined her district partner in the distance. "She means well but we all know that she's about as useful as a fly on a horses ass." joked Cato. Peeta furrowed his eye brow at the larger boy. "Then why keep her around if she is useless." Peeta asked truly interested in their discussion. Cato looked at Peeta and said, "I don't really know maybe because she's a career and it's expected that we team up that's what our alliances are for. She doesn't have to do much since it was either me, Clove or Marvel doing all the dirty work." Cato chuckled to himself. "She sucks at every weapon but she seemed decent enough with a bow, but she ain't got nothing on your girl as far as skill goes."Peeta looked at Cato stunned as he listened to the district 2 boy praise about Katniss's skills. "But I still want that girl dead, it's good she has Clove with her maybe she can teach your girl about the joys of killing." Smiled Cato.

For some strange reason Peeta's thoughts went out to Clove whom the other careers betrayed and left for dead. He wondered why they really betrayed her. "So did really betray Clove because Glimmer asked you to?" Cato looked back at him and said nothing then that was the end of their conversation, and Peeta let him alone. The life of a career is really messed up, Peeta thought. Peeta didn't know how but Glimmer had Cato wound around her finger like a puppet. But it was still apparent that Cato was still in charge and called all the shots so the girl held no authority over any plan made. Though it did seem that Glimmer loved being Cato's arm candy during these games. She's a fool, she would rather rely on the protection of someone who barely cares for her then fight for herself, Peeta thought.

Peeta then begun to think of all the things that set Katniss apart from a girl like Glimmer. Katniss could fight her own fights and she had a fire that no one could ever diminish. The boy wondered how much longer he could hold out with the careers and he desperately wanted to be near Katniss again.

Marvel jogged back up to Cato asking him when they were setting out to find Clove and Katniss. Cato told them all they were heading back to camp and that hunting would have to wait until tomorrow. Marvel cursed under his breath and walked off into the direction of their camp which was a good distance away from the lake where they all knew Clove and Katniss were at. Glimmer fell in step with Cato and held onto his arm leaning on him. Which left Peeta further behind from the rest of them. "Keep up and don't try anything funny again I would hate to waste a good spear on you." called Marvel to Peeta up ahead. Peeta picked up his pace and joined the careers by their side.

"I expect that boy from district 3 to have finished with the job that we had left him to do." Cato said. Marvel chuckled "If he wants to keep living he will have it all done with in no time, besides we can't have filthy ravenous tributes trying to steal our food and supplies while we hunt them all."

Peeta thought it was a clever idea of Cato's to have the district 3 boy as an ally because the boy was very knowledgeable with electronics, the kind of smarts needed to power up disarmed mines that surrounded the career's belongings.

By the time Peeta and the Careers made it back to camp it was dark and cold. The boy from district 3 was sitting on his sleeping bag waiting for their return. He stood up quickly when he saw Cato and the others appear out of the woods.

"Well?" Cato demanded at the boy impatiently awaiting his reply. "There mines are all turned back on like I promised." the shaking boy said. Glimmer notice how bad the boy shook and she wondered if it was from fear or the coldness of the area probably both she assumed. But Glimmer ignored the boy further on and went to see what she could do about her charred hair.

Cato clapped the boy on the back hard forcing him to fall over on the ground with a thud. "Then you did great and of course we will hold up our end for now for your great usefulness." Cato smiled down at him the boy could only give a small smile back then went off to his sleeping bag still shaking tremendously.

Peeta observed the large white netted tent that enclosed all the career's packs inside their food was laying plain sight and only a fool would think that this wasn't a trap. All around the tent was hidden mines that destined to go off on someone who didn't know where to step. But a red-headed tribute whom Katniss named Foxface who was from district 5 had watch the district 3 boy from start to finish as he reassembled the mines. She now knew where each well hidden mine was and planned to make an a attack on their supplies soon. Foxface laughed softly before disappearing in the darkness of the night.

Everyone began to settle down for the night. Marvel was restless it was the first night where he and the others did not go out hunting all thanks to that damn fire that through all their plans off. Marvel heard noised coming from behind him and turned to see Cato and Glimmer making out. Marvel throw up a little in his mouth and laid back down trying to ignore them.

Peeta laid on the solid earth the careers despite having extra sleeping bags did lend him one and he shivered from the coldness but he stuck it out. He was still hoping that Katniss was alright and figured that if Clove truly did form an alliance with her that the career girl would protect and keep Katniss safe and sound. Peeta just hoped that Katniss wouldn't do anything reckless regarding the careers just yet, and safely assumed that Katniss had better sense then to try and steal some of their food. But he only just assumed because Katniss could be very unpredictable at the best of times.

The anthem of Panem played off in the distance which signal that no had died today, and that made Peeta smile with a confirmed reassurance that katniss was still alive and hopefully well.