Divergent vs. The Hunger Games! When two of fiction's most iconic dystopian heroines clash, who will be the one still standing?
****
Wiz: Dystopian fiction. This genre has spawned worlds that are dark yet colorful at the same time, and has given us a selection of equally colorful characters. And today, two of dystopian fiction's most iconic heroines will face off today.
Boomstick: Tris Prior, the Divergent...
Wiz: And Katniss Everdeen, the Mockingjay.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle.
****
TRIS PRIOR
Wiz: In a dark alternate future in the city of Chicago, there exist five factions: the brave Dauntless, the selfess Abnegation, the intelligent Erudite, the honest Candor, and the peaceful Amity. This system of government was to divide the people based on their aptitudes and personalities...
Boomstick: Buuut it turns out people in factions have really f*cked up genetic codes.
Wiz: The people who possess qualities from every faction are known as Divergents, who are...slightly different from people who are grouped in factions. And that group-the Divergent group-is where our heroine falls under.
Boomstick: Yeah, you see, Tris is supposed to be special. Yeah, she kinda is. She's special 'cause she's the one with the normal genetic code. Ugh, this paradox sh*t's giving me a migraine...
Wiz: Beatrice Prior was born in the faction Abnegation, where she was taught by her family to follow the faction's code and be selfless. She abided, but due to her Divergent blood, she began to consider her own wants.
Boomstick: When she turned sixteen, Beatrice was made to choose between a knife and a piece of cheese. Because she apparently didn't want to stab people or eat stale cheese, she refused, and the computer went bonkers, sorta, and decided she belonged to three factions.
Wiz: This was when she was informed of her Divergent blood. Divergents, you see, are people that possess more than one distinctive trait of a faction, and Beatrice just happens to be one of them.
Boomstick: Potentially belonging to three factions, Beatrice decided to enter Dauntless. You know, the cool faction that plays games, gets tattoos, and does gratuitous parkour! Because if that doesn't sound badass in dystopian fiction standards, I don't know what does. Then she decided she was leaving her old life, and then changed her name to...Tris.
Wiz: And it turns out that Tris was already more than qualified to become a Dauntless...if she wasn't already qualified in the other factions due to her Divergent blood. She is physically stronger than the average human, being able to break the glass tank she was encased in.
Boomstick: Oh, come on! That ain't impressive enough. I mean anyone can-
Wiz: Might I mention that that glass tank Tris was trapped in was filled with water?
Boomstick: ...whoa. She also possesses aim, stamina, and endurance above that of an average human. I mean, she was able to hold her own against some of the Dauntless' top guns for a while!
Wiz: And thanks to her training in Dauntless, Tris is a force to be reckoned with in close-quarters combat.
Boomstick: She's also got some anime-level willpower, like that time she was under a death serum and she refused to give up 'cause, well...willpower.
Wiz: While a strong fighter in her own right, Tris isn't lacking in the strategizing department either. At first, she might come off as a brash and impulsive combatant, but she is certainly capable of analyzing her opponents' combat styles and forming strategies based on her knowledge. In fact, the ability to think outside the box is Tris's most prominent ability.
Boomstick: Such a person as this one doesn't come up short on impressive feats. She became the top initiate in her Dauntless batch in record time; she was able to overcome her fears in her fear landscape; was able to resist a death serum for a while 'cause rule of cool; and she actually helped in toppling the Erudite faction...though this only turned out for the worse.
Wiz: Tris does have impressive abilities and feats to her name, but that doesn't mean she isn't without her weaknesses. She is an excellent strategist, sure, but her main weakness is that she sometimes let her emotions overtake her in certain situations.
Boomstick: Like this.
*Tris continuously kicks on the downed and defeated Molly*
Wiz: While this makes her a force to be reckoned with, there's the fact that her emotions may remove her capacity to think rationally in a given situation.
Boomstick: And while she's basically the Guts of Divergent, Tris is still a normal human, and a well-placed fatal blow can do her in.
Wiz: Despite all of this, there's a reason why Tris isn't a person you shouldn't underestimate. If her accomplishments in the books weren't enough to clue you in...
Boomstick: Why's she a force to be reckoned with? 'Cause Tris is just a normal person.
Tris: Beatrice was a girl I saw in stolen moments at the mirror, who kept quiet at the dinner table. This is someone whose eyes claim mine and don't release me; this is Tris.
****
TRIS:
Real Name: Beatrice Prior
Age: 17
Height: Unspecified
Weight: Unspecified
Physicality and Skillset:
· Strong enough to break the glass tank she was encased in-and that tank was filled with water
· Possessed sufficient stamina to hold her own against the Dauntless' top guns for a while
· Possesses peak physicality and aim
· Can resist several serums
· Skilled shot with a gun
· Excellent strategist
· Has knowledge of several martial arts
Feats:
· Became the top initiate in her Dauntless batch in record time
· Overcame her fears in her fear landscape
· Was able to resist the death serum for a while through sheer force of will
· Helped topple the Erudite...though this only turned out for the worse
Weaknesses:
· At first, brash and impulsive in combat
· Her emotions might sometimes hinder her from thinking rationally in a fight
· A well-placed fatal blow can do her in
*~*~*~*~*~*
KATNISS EVERDEEN
Wiz: In the land of Panem, which was once North America, there exist thirteen districts. They are ruled under the thumb of a totalitarian Capitol, which had defeated the Districts in war seventy-five years ago.
Boomstick: And to constantly rub their defeat in their face, the Capitol forces twenty-four kids from each district to fight to the death for the personal enjoyment of the rich kids. ...God, this society is f*cked up.
Wiz: This blood sport is called the Hunger Games, an event which picks twenty-four young people from each district and, well...forces them to fight to the death. Fast-forward to the 74th Hunger Games, and we're introduced to its champion, Katniss Everdeen.
Boomstick: Katniss was born into the poorest District, the Twelfth. After losing her dad in a mine explosion, Katniss took it upon herself to keep her family alive by constantly going out into the wilderness to hunt for food. Mostly because her mom does jack sh*t!
Wiz: Then came the day of reckoning...the day of the Reaping. Two champions would be selected to represent District Twelve in the 74th Hunger Games. Much to Katniss's horror, a female champion had been chosen.
Effie Trinket: Primrose Everdeen.
Boomstick: Despite her family literally not doing sh*t to help her, Katniss still loved her family. Not wanting her baby sister get mauled to death by 23 teens, Katniss intervened.
Katniss: Prim! PRIM! I VOLUNTEER!! I volunteer as tribute!
Wiz: Katniss had volunteered to represent the District in Prim's place, effectively making her the first tribute to volunteer to participate in the Games.
Boomstick: And then some dude called Peter Mark or something was chosen to become the male representative.
Wiz: You mean Peeta Mellark.
Boomstick: Same thing. Anyway, both tributes were sent to the Capitol of Panem, where the tributes would have the time to impress the judges before the brutal kid-slaughtering contest. And Katniss was able to surprise and impress them...and all she did was shoot an arrow at an apple in a roasted pig's mouth!
Wiz: With her skills in archery, when she was thrust into the Hunger Games, Katniss was able to not only survive, but win the Hunger Games as well.
Boomstick: Isn't that a bit redundant? Because the only way for you to win the Games is when you survive and everyone else is dead.
Wiz: ...Yeah. However, it would turn out that the results of this year's Games would differ from the rest. You see, Katniss didn't wish to kill Peeta, so she tricked the Gamemakers into giving them the win.
Boomstick: How the hell did she do that?
Wiz: Both Katniss and Peeta were holding poisonous berries in their hands. They were ready to consume them and die together...until the Gamemakers intervened and decided to give them the win. This incited the ire of President Snow, who had Gamemaker Seneca Crane killed after the latter declared Katniss and Peeta the winners of the Games.
Boomstick: Katniss and Peeta would live on to fight another day...until they got thrust into the Games...again.
Wiz: This Quarter Quell would be vastly different from the rest...even the previous year's Games. This had twenty-four champions from previous Hunger Games compete, regardless of age. Then...
Boomstick: Okay, okay, this backstory exposition is kinda dragging on. Can we please talk about killing people now?
Wiz: Um, sure. Given her tenure in District 12, Katniss has grown to become a hardened survivalist. She is an excellent shot with her bow and arrow, her primary weapon.
Boomstick: Well, it's gotta be her primary weapon since she'd used it to hunt in the woods. Also, aside from normal arrows, this bow comes packed with explosive arrows and incendiary arrows, perfect for extra firepower!
Wiz: Katniss received these arrow variants when she joined the rebellion, where she was given an all-new bow and arrows.
Boomstick: Katniss isn't too shabby in close combat either. She can fight with a knife, and when she joined the rebellion, she became trained in her own fair share of hand-to-hand combat.
Wiz: But where Katniss truly excels is her survival skills. She is capable of hiding her presence from the combatants of the Hunger Games, as well as set traps and come up with strategies in the heat of battle.
Boomstick: With all of her skills, it's no wonder Katniss has survived this long. She's won the 74th Hunger Games, survived long in the Third Quarter Quell before District 13 rescued her, slaughtered a bunch of CPU's set at the maximum difficulty in less than 30 seconds, and ultimately sparked the rebellion that would overthrow the Capitol.
Wiz: Katniss might seem like a hardened survivalist, but she has her issues. For one, she has post-traumatic stress disorder, mainly due to all of the horrible things she's had to experience.
Boomstick: She's also kind of impulsive, and while she can strategize, she runs head on into situations without the needed forethought.
Wiz: Lastly, she is rather rash, doing things as she feels and not following orders.
Boomstick: But when you're fighting her, you'd best be prepared. Katniss is one silent and deadly woman. She's proven that she can and will pick you off from the shadows or face-to-face.
*Katniss whistles the Mockingjay song*
****
KATNISS:
Height: 5'7''
Weight: 63kg
Occupations: Tribute in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games; Mockingjay of the Rebellion
Physicality, Skills, and Arsenal:
· Peak human physicality
· Excellent survival skills
· Excellent shot with a bow and arrow
· Trained in hand-to-hand when she joined the Rebellion
· Bow and Arrow: comes packed with normal arrows, incendiary arrows, and explosive arrows
Feats:
· Has single-handedly been helping her family survive ever since her father died
· Won the 74th Annual Hunger Games
· Survived the Quarter Quell
· Started the rebellion that ultimately overthrew the Capitol
Weaknesses:
· Rather brash and impulsive
· Her emotions can get in the way of her strategizing and aim
· Post-traumatic stress disorder
*~*~*~*~*~*
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all!
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!
*~*~*~*~*~*
BATTLE
Random-ass Forest...
Tris Prior had absolutely zero idea how she'd gotten here.
Just a while ago, she'd been running from a couple mooks, then she'd tripped-inexplicably-into some weird well. The next thing she knew...she was here.
The Divergent picked herself up, shaking the cobwebs off her head as she did so. She was immediately faced with a misty forest full of trees, but devoid of any sort of animal life. Acting upon instinct, Tris put her hand on her gun, slowly drawing it out.
A slight movement.
The Divergent swiftly drew her gun, aiming it at the forest in front of her. Despite the odds, she was not to let panic take over her senses.
She tightened the grip on her gun as she saw a figure dash from the fog, then eased a little as the figure took form: a woman about her age. Maybe she knew where they were?
Still holding on to her gun, Tris took careful steps towards the woman, meaning to ask her where the hell they exactly were while keeping the gun trained in front of her...
FWOOSH
Tris had only a second to duck as an arrow whizzed towards her. The woman had drawn her bow, and had just knocked another arrow, prepared to fire it at Tris.
Katniss Everdeen, on her part, had no idea how she had gotten here, either. All she knew is that she had fallen down some mysterious pit, and the next thing she knew, she was in here.
Now, she'd seen a figure-a woman her age-carefully emerge from the fog. She had to fire at her in order to ensure if she was hostile or not.
It turned out that her assumption was quite right.
In retaliation, Tris fired off a single round from her gun. Due to the thick fog, it narrowly missed Katniss...but now, both knew that they had a potential threat to face.
(cue The Hot Wind Blowing - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance OST)
As if on cue, an invisible and seemingly omniscient announcer spoke to both of them, albeit individually:
Eliminate she who stands in front of you...good luck.
Perplexed, both young women looked around for the source of the voice...but saw that there was none.
Tris Prior and Katniss Everdeen locked eyes, the true purpose of their encounter made clear. They trained their weapons on each other...
FIGHT!
As if in perfect sync, an arrow flew from Katniss's bow as a bullet was fired off of Tris's gun. Both young women immediately rolled to the side, evading the initial projectiles and diving into the bushes.
Another shot, another arrow. Tris and Katniss, upon instinct, weaved and evaded, then fired once more. And then rinse. And repeat. And repeat.
The hot wind blowing jagged lines across the sand
Drawing in a breath, Katniss prepared to knock another arrow, but Tris had beaten her to the punch, firing off another round. The Girl on Fire, nearly caught by surprise, very, very narrowly evaded the gunshot, and then finished knocking another arrow. Spotting Tris roll from one hedge to another, Katniss strung her arrow and fired.
The crumbling buildings in our minds are all that stand
The arrow narrowly whizzed above Tris's head, and the Divergent retaliated by rolling to the side and firing in front of her, the bullet striking another arrow headed straight for her.
Three more arrows and bullets were fired off, yet none seemed to hit their mark.
Just like the buffalo blindly following the herd
Deciding that she wasn't going to land any hit or get anywhere if she continued her assault, Katniss immediately rolled for the closest hedge she could see, a bullet whizzing just a fraction of an inch above her spine, but not hitting her.
Doing her best to hide her presence, Katniss quietly and slowly snuck to her left, slowly drawing out her knife from one of her pockets. She had to draw Tris out of hiding and engage her in close quarters, no matter the odds.
After a few seconds, Katniss had reached a rather thick log to hide behind. The tribute crouched as low as she could, quietly walking towards the edge of the log
We try to justify all the things that have occurred
Growling in disappointment at not being able to see her foe through the thick cloud of fog and the hedges, Tris silently rose from the bushes, keeping her gun trained in front of her. Yes, she knew that this would put her on huge risk of being spotted and turned into Tris cheese with arrows, but she had to draw her opponent out.
Tris's ears perked up as she picked up the slightest movement, then she slowly trudged toward where she thought she had sensed it.
I don't know what I've been told
But the wishes of the people can't be controlled
Tris trained her gun on the bush on the left of the log she had spotted, while taking a step forward. This was enough to startle Katniss, who was hiding behind the log, if only by a bit.
However, the Girl on Fire fought to remain calm. She did not want to risk getting spotted, especially now that she was steadily drawing Tris towards her. She slowly shifted as the sound of Tris's footfalls came closer and closer...
I don't know what I've been told
But the wishes of the people can't be controlled
Tris took one more step. And then another. And then another. As she approached the log, she tensed and tensed, worry starting to creep into her heart that perhaps Katniss was drawing her in for a trap.
That, or Katniss had escaped into the woods.
Either way, Tris decided she was going to take her chances...
And upon pure instinct and luck, she was able to jump back just as Katniss ran over the log and slashed at her backhanded with her knife.
Heat of the desert, dust settles on my face
As if on cue, the gears of Tris's combat training had begun to whirl once more, the Divergent raising her arms to parry an oncoming knife strike from Katniss. Tris retaliated accordingly, using her free hand to deliver a gut-punch.
Swiftly, Katniss brought her free hand down, misdirecting Tris's punch...but wasn't prepared to react as the Divergent slugged her across the face with a haymaker.
The tribute quickly regained her bearings, entering a fighting stance. Parrying a swift kick from Tris, Katniss lunged and retaliated with a knee, striking Tris in the gut and forcing her to stagger.
Without a compass, the soldier knows no disgrace
Soon after, Tris and Katniss had engaged in an intense brawl, neither young woman faltering or winning. It was a heated exchange, as the two traded blows with punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. Neither of them had found a hole in each other's defenses as of yet.
Out of the ashes, the eagle rises still
That was, until Tris had spotted the tiniest opening in Katniss's assault. It was without a doubt that between the two of them, the Divergent was the one who was better at close-range combat, and this bout was beginning to let it show.
Tris kicked on Katniss's knee with enough force to stagger her, then immediately clotheslined the Girl on Fire, sending her flying back a few feet away, crashing against the same log she had hidden behind.
With a running start, Tris dashed towards her open foe, preparing to deliver a kick at her gut. Her eyes widening, Katniss rolled aside, Tris's foot meeting the log and nearly cracking it.
The tribute then got to her feet and tackled Tris into the ground, but as soon as she raised her fist to punch on her adversary's head, Tris shot her foot up, striking Katniss straight in the gut and sending her stumbling back.
Freedom is calling to all men who bend their will
Getting up to her feet, Tris decided to throw another punch, only for Katniss to regain her bearings and parry the blow. The tribute drew her knife once more, gripping it backhanded and slashing at Tris. The Divergent was quick to parry this one, but was unable to react in time as Katniss kicked her in the hip, sending her stumbling to the side.
Her eyes narrowed, Katniss took this chance and lunged for Tris, her knife poised to strike. The Divergent, her eyes widening, raised her arms in hasty defense...and knocked the knife out of Katniss's hands.
Tris then caught the knife out of the air, and was quick to slash at Katniss before she could react, cutting mildly from her abdomen to her left chest and drawing a small amount of blood. Katniss hissed as she attempted to bite the pain back.
Here I am, dirty and faceless
Waiting to heed your instruction
Clutching her wound, Katniss looked up at Tris as the latter threw a solid haymaker at her face, the handle of the knife increasing the power of the blow and sending the Girl on Fire stumbling back.
A gut-punch, then Katniss gasped for air. And a hook to the face. And a kick to the gut. Katniss swung her arm to retaliate, but Tris's superior close-combat skills kicked in, and she was able to narrowly parry the blow, retaliating by punching the Girl on Fire right in the nose!
Realizing that she was going to be pressed in close combat, Katniss realized that she needed to get out of range. Fast. Now, if she could find a way to distract Tris...
On my own, invisible warrior
The Divergent swung again, only for Katniss to duck under her strike. Narrowing her eyes, Katniss immediately took advantage of this split-second opening, striking Tris in the chin with an uppercut! The knife was immediately knocked out of the Divergent's hands, Katniss catching it in midair and slashing it at the side of Tris's leg, forcing the Divergent to her knees, hissing in pain.
Taking advantage of this, Katniss immediately bolted for the woods, clutching her wound as she went.
I am a wind of destruction!
Biting her lips to blot out the haze of pain, Tris forced herself back up her feet, clutching at the wound on her leg. Regaining focus, she immediately sought out her foe...who was already gone.
(stop music)
Gnashing her teeth, Tris trudged for the first place she thought Katniss would run off to: the woods. Now, Tris wasn't entirely sure this was a good idea, what with Katniss being a person she barely knew, but she had to get her answers as to why she got here in the first place. And as it currently stood, Katniss was the only person who she could even remotely get answers from, but she had to take her chances.
The hunt was on.
(cue Battle / Chameleos - MH4U OST)
Meanwhile, Katniss had found the nearest tree she could find, and without hesitation, began to climb, making sure she wasn't making any loud, conspicuous noises. She needed somewhere to hide from her foe as she waited for the pain of her wound to subside.
Reaching a branch, Katniss immediately sat back, her back leaning against the thick trunk. She took heavy, ragged breaths as the pain from the wound slowly, but surely, subsided, the bleeding ultimately stopping.
As the pain had all but died away, Katniss leaned forward, scouting down below for any signs of her opponent. Carefully, she drew her bow from her back and drew a singular arrow as she scouted ahead.
Tris, on her part, trudged on ahead, ignoring the pain in her leg as it began to slowly die down. She slowly drew her gun and aimed it in front of her. Now where would her foe be hiding...? Perhaps she ran away? Now that was a sensible assumption, considering Katniss had no idea who Tris was either. But then again, the assumption that she was merely hiding, lying in wait to strike, made some sense as well.
Moments ago, this was a duel, a test of skill and strength. Now, it had degraded into a simple game of hide and seek, with both players wounded and seeking out the other, even in the hider's case.
Tris searched everywhere-bushes, logs, tree branches, anywhere a person could hide in this foggy forest, while keeping her gun trained on any possible spots. Now, she wasn't the biggest fan or practicioner of stealth, since she had literally been in all of her fights with her hands dirtied in some way or the other. However, she still remained on the lookout, as she knew there were no other people, or any form of animal life, in this forest-well, if you count out the owner of that mysterious voice, and that was if he even existed or had a physical form.
The thick cloud of leaves above her rustled.
Alerted, the Divergent aimed her gun upwards and fired. As expected, no target was hit. However, she was now deathly positive that Katniss was in here somewhere.
Meanwhile, Katniss had jumped from a branch to another, obscured by the leaves of the trees, when she heard the gunshot. Following the sudden noise, Katniss looked down from the cover, and saw Tris scouting down below, training her gun at random targets but not firing.
Silently, the Girl on Fire drew an arrow, knocked it, and fired.
Tris, alerted to the approaching arrow, barely had time to dodge away, the tip of the arrow creating the tiniest nick on her hip and drawing small spurts of blood. Still, this warranted a small hiss of pain from the Divergent, enough to distract her from firing upwards.
Seizing this chance, Katniss made to jump for another branch, seamlessly landing on it. The leaves rustled once more, and Tris trained her gun on the thick bunch of leaves above. Without quarter, Tris pulled the trigger and fired.
No target hit, no sound or groan of pain, no one falling to the ground.
Her left ear perking, Tris felt her heart immediately jump as she, on instinct, rolled forward, an arrow narrowly missing her face. This time, Tris had the time to aim at the source of the arrow and fire.
Still on the branch, Katniss nearly gasped as the bullet narrowly whizzed past the tip of her nose. Damn it. If she were to compromise herself, she'd be dead in an instant.
With this thought in mind, the tribute made to retreat to the thicker part of the branch. She'd have to make do with what she currently had-and what options were available to her-if she was to remain hidden.
Immediately, under the cover of the leaves, Katniss knocked another arrow and prepared to fire...
...and then the branch, which was quite thin, even at its thickest part, began to snap.
Hearing the minor crack, Tris immediately trained her gun upwards, but did not pull the trigger. She wasn't going to take any gambles, at least not for now. Not until she'd drawn her foe out of hiding.
Realizing that the branch wouldn't hold any longer, Katniss jumped onto the trunk of the tree, clinging on for dear life. Then she began to climb onto a higher branch, hoping to find yet another vantage point to snipe Tris from.
But Fate seemed to have thrown her the middle finger of all middle fingers. The moment Katniss reached the branch, a small piece of wood penetrated her wound, causing her to lose her footing and slip. She'd gotten past the leaves, and was continually falling down the tree, but then grabbed on to a lower branch. Katniss breathed a sigh of relief as she grabbed onto the branch...
...but then she realized that she was completely in Tris's line of sight now.
And she was right.
Her eyes widening at this realization, Katniss jumped back on the branch as down below, Tris fired off a bullet. The round struck the branch, and it got through, narrowly missing Katniss's leg.
Realizing that it was useless to hide now, Katniss knocked an arrow and fired. The Divergent below dodged the arrow, returning fire. The Girl on Fire jumped forward, narrowly escaping the shot, and retaliated by drawing another arrow from her quiver and firing.
The exchanged continued on for about ten seconds, Katniss jumping from branch to branch and firing off arrow after arrow. Of course, Tris had followed suit, running after her and firing off bullet after bullet. Katniss, on her part, was scouting the ground, looking for anything she could possibly use to gain the slightest advantage...
...until she spotted a rather large patch of grass up ahead.
It was as if a light bulb had activated above Katniss's head. She only needed to lure her foe into the grass, and set her plan into action.
The tribute quickly leapt towards another branch, narrowly avoiding gunfire. She leapt towards another, and another, and then another...
...until she reached a tree branch directly above the tall grass. Of course, Tris had followed suit, stopping at a patch of open ground in the middle of the grass.
Now. Katniss had to be quick.
She quickly drew an arrow from her quiver and fired. Tris, anticipating this, prepared to dodge...
...but the arrow missed her entirely.
Tris blinked. Now what could her foe have-
The Divergent suddenly felt heat behind her. She looked back...and what she saw surprised and angered her at the same time.
From where the incendiary arrow struck the grass, a wall of fire had arisen and spread throughout the grass patch, essentially trapping the Divergent!
Damn it. How could she have been so stupid? She'd let Katniss lure her towards this grass patch, and she'd fallen for this underhanded trap!
(cue The Hot Wind Blowing again, this time start at the 3:10 marker)
Gnashing her teeth in frustration and annoyance, Tris aimed her gun upwards and fired. As expected, it missed, albeit narrowly.
Katniss, on her part, had just thought of negotiating with her foe when she had dodged the bullet. It seemed that she hadn't any choice now but to finish this. Because when you trap your opponent in a burning patch of grass, she wouldn't want to negotiate, right?
In retaliation, Katniss knocked another arrow and fired...and this time, her arrow struck true, nailing Tris in her knee!
We fight for justice in a forgotten place
Tris bit her lip, not letting the scream of pain escape from her throat. Fighting through the haze of pain, the Divergent narrowly rolled aside to evade another arrow, but this only served to aggravate the wound in her knee.
Trying her best to blot out the pain, Tris returned fire, and this time, she'd managed to succeed in hitting Katniss, albeit barely.
The bullet grazed the side of Katniss's right leg, causing the Girl on Fire to let out a whimper of pain. She leapt towards another branch that happened to be close, drawing another arrow.
Tris, meanwhile, had used this brief distraction to rip the arrow out of her knee with all her strength. A whimper of pain was released from the Divergent's throat as she did so, but not enough to fully force her to collapse
Fulfill our duty, and vanish without a trace
Suddenly, without warning, another arrow came whizzing at Tris, who barely managed to avoid it, what with her injured knee. She returned fire, but the pain in her knee had distracted her from aiming properly, and her shot missed entirely.
Another arrow came flying at her, and this time, Tris had no time to evade as it struck her shoulder, causing her to drop her gun. The Divergent briefly cried out in pain, grabbing onto the shaft of the arrow with her free hand and pulling. However, seeing as she couldn't rip it out easy, she opted to snap the shaft in half instead.
Tris so narrowly dodged the next arrow, immediately grabbing her gun and retaliating with a single shot. The bullet grazed the side of Katniss's right arm, causing the Girl on Fire to let out a cry of pain of her own and causing her to nearly drop her bow.
Don't need a medal for all the men we killed
In instinctive retaliation, the tribute fired off an arrow, which had hit its mark, striking Tris in the hip.
Okay. THIS was bad. Her foe was steadily gaining an advantage, and Tris knew it. She couldn't lure Katniss out of hiding either, seeing as she couldn't escape from this fiery trap the tribute had set up.
With no small amount of pain, Tris ripped the arrow out of her hip with all her strength, the pain causing her to fall to her good knee. Despite all her pain, she returned fire...and this time, the bullet struck Katniss square in the leg, causing the Girl on Fire to nearly fall over, crying out in pain.
Tris then realized she only had one bullet left. She had to make this one count.
Freedom is calling to all men who bend their will
Gnashing her teeth, the Girl on Fire slowly rose from her kneeling position on the branch. She felt for any more arrows on her quiver...
...One left. She was going to make this last one count, as well.
Her hands trembling from the pain, Katniss loaded up the arrow, aimed at Tris, knocked it, and fired. At the same time, the Divergent fired off her last round...
Winds of destruction!
...and both projectiles struck true.
However, only one had struck the finishing blow.
Moments before the arrow struck her face, one final thought coursed through Tris's mind, directed at her clever foe, who'd managed to survive and lure her to this inescapable predicament.
"Well played."
Blackness.
The light instantly left the eyes of Tris Prior as the arrow struck her square in the forehead...but the arrow itself wasn't quite done yet.
BOOM!
The explosive arrow, simply put, obliterated the entirety of Tris's head, sending blood and brain matter scattering across the ground. The headless body of the Divergent slumped forward, smoke rising out of the stump on her neck.
(stop music)
Katniss Everdeen, on her part, felt no elation from her victory. Exhausted herself, Katniss lay back on the trunk of the tree, the weight of the bullet wounds beginning to return to her full-force. For a moment, she wondered if she had done the right thing, having killed a complete stranger who she was sure was just as lost as her in this mysterious forest. But as it stood, she had little choice. Had she acted out of fear of the owner of that mysterious voice?
No matter. Shutting her eyes, Katniss resigned into her well-earned rest.
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Tris suddenly jolted awake, gasping for air. The simulation had ended, and the first thing she saw was the puzzled look of the one who was monitoring her during this test. Just what the hell happened? One moment, she'd been running from the thugs in the simulation, then it had inexplicably glitched and transported her into that mysterious forest. More importantly, who the hell was the owner of the mysterious voice?
One thing was for sure, however, as Tris looked into the eyes of the one who was monitoring her: there were going to be a lot of questions.
KO!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Boomstick: ANOTHER non-death ending?! I NEEDS MAH BLOOD!
Wiz: Well...not exactly a non-death. Katniss technically killed Tris before the simulation ended. Think of it as a sort of Sword Art Online thing.
Boomstick: Ugh, fine.
Wiz: This was a very close match. With the two of them so evenly matched in physicality, strategy, and combat training, this fight ultimately was to boil down to a few key factors.
Boomstick: While both are skilled in strategizing, and can get impulsive and let emotion take over, when compared, this can happen to Tris much sooner than it can to Katniss.
Wiz: Also, there is the fact that Tris hasn't quite encountered someone like Katniss before. While she is a brilliant strategist, when faced with someone like Katniss, she had very little to work with.
Boomstick: "But how the hell is that possible? You literally just said they're so evenly matched!" Well, when you think about it, Tris's win-loss record is somewhat spotty. And the times she was strategizing in combat? That was mainly because Tris had faced them before and she's gotten her ass handed to her by them before. So it would only be natural for her to know what she would do then.
Wiz: And how many times do we have to stress that Death Battle does not allow prep time? Tris and Katniss wouldn't know of each other at the beginning of the battle. And besides that...Tris was up against an entirely new foe, prep time rules or no.
Boomstick: Tris mostly defeats foes who engage her in direct confrontation. On the other hand, Katniss excels in being a survivalist, and is extremely resourceful.
Wiz: Which brings us to our next point. Years of hunting for food in the wilderness, as well as surviving and winning two Hunger Games, have taught Katniss how to become a hardened survivalist. She will do what she can to survive, even hide her presence from her foes. And honestly, Tris hasn't faced up to a foe who is skilled at stealth.
Boomstick: Last but not least, their experience. Sure, Tris trained in close combat way before Katniss did and is skilled with a gun, which should be superior to a bow and arrow in hindsight, Katniss has been in the survival game far longer than Tris has.
Wiz: Exactly. Katniss has been fending for herself and her family long before she got thrown into the Hunger Games, and she had survived through and won the 74th and 75th Hunger Games; while in comparison, before her induction into the Dauntless, Tris has lived a life of leniency in Abnegation.
Boomstick: And Katniss has explosive arrows, don't forget that.
Wiz: Ultimately, while both fighters were very evenly matched, Katniss's experience and survivor mindset won out in the end.
Boomstick: In the end, Tris's chances of victory blew up in her face!
Wiz: The winner is Katniss Everdeen.
Winner: KATNISS
+ Overall more experienced
+ Survivor mindset helped her out
+ Better survival skills
+ Utilized stealth, which Tris hasn't quite faced up to yet
= About equal overall physicality
= About equal battle tactics and style
Loser: TRIS
= About equal physicality
= About equal battle tactics and style
- More prone to give in to her emotions when compared to Katniss, though the difference is narrow
- Hasn't quite faced off against a survivalist like Katniss before
- Not as resourceful
- Not as experienced
****
NEXT TIME ON DEATH BATTLE...SEASON FINALE STYLE!
Stand versus Persona! It's the clash of the flash-tastic summoners...
JOTARO KUJO vs. YU NARUKAMI!
****
(A/N: And only the season finale remains! Well, there's still the special DBX chapter, so... Still, the season's nearly done! Hope y'all are excited for Jotaro vs Yu. I've mulled it over, and honestly, it's a far better idea than Chuck Norris vs Madoka Kaname. Maybe not as popular a suggestion as Vergil vs Sephiroth, but still a very interesting idea.
So yeah. Following this chapter will be the special DBX chapter I mentioned in the previous fight, then after that comes the season finale. Don't forget to place your bets on who wins! As always, peace out!)