futile || cato's story ✔️

bloodbath

As we reach the lake she whispers to me, "I was first kill, by the way. No matter what Marvel tries to tell you."

Smiling menacingly, I toss my sword in the air nonchalantly and catch it by the hilt, spinning it around my hand before tucking it in my belt. I'm soon back in the act, carefree, with all the time in the world.

"Not bad, Clover, but I think I bagged the most." I boast with an elbow jabbed at her ribs.

It turns out I'm right with my four bodies compared to Clove's and Marvel's two each, and Glimmer's one.

"Is that all of them?" Clove wonders.

"Nah, somebody beat me to one," Marina pipes up, perhaps overeager in defense of her striking lack of kills. "Boy from Five I think. He seemed pretty good actually."

"Until I killed him," I assure, earning a small laugh though it wasn't a joke.

"Thresh got at least one too," Marvel adds almost distractedly, crouched at the water's edge cleaning a bloodied spear. "I'm sure we all know he's one to watch. Anyone see where he went?"

"Over that cliff," Glimmer declares.

"Wonder what's down there," says Clove.

"We can check it out next."

I'm still observing Marvel, tediously cleaning his weapon. I know from training and glimpses of the fight around me that he fights long-range mainly. Did he use just one spear for his kills? Did he pull it from the bodies as if it was precious loot? One spear out of dozens, married to him completely. Silly.

"How likely do you guys think it is that there's something in that water?" I question innocently.

Delightedly, Marvel stiffens slightly, almost imperceptibly. He covers his discomfort with a laugh and he stays there for an agonizing few seconds before shooting up to full height and moving away towards Glimmer, whose subsequent jump scare shout succeeds in making him twitch.

All of us laughing, Marina scoffs jokingly, "Children."

I bear a slight grin at Marvel, who averts his eyes.

"Come on, Glim, let's check out that cliff," he declares. They meander off with Marina in tow.

I remain at the water, staring at the still reflection of the trees.

"You do know these people are our allies right? Essential for taking out the most tributes in the beginning of the Games? More sponsorships to split between us? Power in numbers? Anything Wade and Enobaria told us ringing a bell?"

"Hn."

"No need to start infighting yet."

"Clove. These people are beneath us," I state evenly, eyes still on the water. "Max would never have survived without us. Why drag him along with us? Useless weight. Marvel too. Marina couldn't even kill in the bloodbath and Glimmer is an absolute floozie who can't even shoot straight with her weapon of choice. Did you see her kill? How'd she even manage that?" I scoff.

"Yeah, yeah..." Clove sits on the bank at my feet with a sigh and a full-body stretch. "And yes. She spent about the entirety of the fight stabbing one bitch in the face over and over."

I let out a genuine laugh and sit beside her, continuing. "And who is Wade to talk? We saw his Games live. He didn't stick with the others for a week."

"Well, it's tradition for a reason. And Wade is someone to talk. He's literally our mentor."

Wade Rankine is the mentor assigned to me, a district legend who won only last year as an unusual sixteen-year-old volunteer. Our youngest victor, he succeeded in taking out many of his fellow tributes on his own after splitting from the ally group early. This makes some people wary of him, but it's not as if he killed his district partner himself, only a few of the other allies later in the Games, which is to be expected. He earned his great respect. Still, clearly not the champion of allyship. And so much for mentor authority, I can't shake that he's younger than I am.