Bloodbath: Haze

The night before the Games began was possibly one of the longest that Haze had ever experienced. He'd never expected to be nervous about this, and it wasn't exactly nerves either. It was the excitement that kept him awake and turning in bed. In his mind, he played over possible scenarios for the bloodbath.

Who might he wind up facing? A part of him hoped it would be that dickwad, Thad. Somehow he got the feeling that the two of them would wind up facing off at some point. If he was to team up with him and Angel it was probably inevitable. Unless someone else got to him first.

He sighed, rolling over on to his side, playing with the cowrie Cass had given him. He turned the smooth shell over and over in his fingers, staring absently at it. The last he'd seen Cass was in that quiet room in the Captiol building. If he closed his eyes, Haze could recall the brush of Cass's fingers over his cheek. Soft lips brushed his and a crooked smile reassured him that Cass would be waiting for him when he got home. It gave him strength. It gave him drive. More than the honor of winning the games, he wanted to see Cass again.

Thoughts of his partner finally lulled him to sleep. It would not be long before the dawn.

Breakfast was a tense meal. Ollie seemed nervous too, and neither of them had more than water and some bread. Rich Capitol food would turn their stomachs at this point.
"If you get to the Cornucopia before me, save me something nice." Ollie joked, and Haze's lips quirked up. He'd miss Ollie, he thought to himself. She'd been a good District-mate to have through all the preparation and ceremonies.

The rest of the morning went by in a blink. Haze barely remembered stuffing his feet into the black combat boots the Games supplied. He shoved his token, the cowrie, into his pocket, squeezing it as he stepped on to the platform. This was it. He looked up as the door overhead opened and was almost blinded by the sun. By the time the platform was up in the open air, he was already quite warm.

Haze took a moment as the countdown began to look around. There was a sheer drop behind him, a cliff looking out over a dry, dusty valley of sandstone spires and small green pockets, likely full of cacti and scorpions. Not exactly his first pick for a hunting environment, but at least Haze was one person who didn't have to worry about burning in the sun. He'd just be several shades darker by the time he got home.

Directly in front of him, about sixty or so yards away, was the mouth of the Cornucopia. He could see right in to it, and he grinned – he could make a beeline for it while more people fought over the items laying about on the outer rim. Most of the regular tributes would likely avoid the Cornucopia, opting to grab what they could and run for the safe slope. They would hope to distance themselves from the Career tributes, most of whom seemed to be planning to band together.

“10... 9... 8...” He could see some tributes turning pale in the final few seconds. The two girls on either side of him – neither of them Careers – where staring at him nervously. No doubt they wondered if he would come after them right away. But luckily for them, Haze preferred to get himself armed before attacking anyone. The spears, being larger weapons, would likely be in the Cornucopia.

“3... 2... 1!” Utter chaos erupted as the tributes took off. Haze bolted immediately, tearing across the rocky terrain as quickly as he could. He ignored the smaller ticket items. There would be time to come back and pick up what others had left behind. He wanted a weapon. One that he could really use.

Halfway there and he could already hear the screaming of the first few fallen tributes. He didn't bother to look around though, other than for an immediate threat. He could see the other Careers headed the same way as him, but he was the closest to the Cornucopia, and so he arrived there first.

The Cornucopia's shade was dark compared to the bright sun outside. He blinked for a moment and grinned, hurrying over and taking a spear down from the wall. It was longer and a little heavier than the javelins he was used to, but it was still easy enough to throw, and would also make a good slashing weapon if need be. He gave it a few test spins, deciding then, with a small smirk, that perhaps this blade warranted a test cut.

Her timing was almost perfect. A serendipitous moment for him, though most certainly not for her. Argona came running in, ignoring him and reaching for the sword on the wall. She'd had a similar plan, going for her weapon of choice first, then worrying about other things, it seemed. But she should have paid better attention to her company, even if Haze was a fellow career.

He lashed out, spear head slashing across the back of her hand, preventing her from grabbing the sword. The spear circled around, and he shifted his feet, bringing its tip down level with her chest. “Sorry, Argona. Nothing personal.” With a swift jab, he aimed to sink the spear into her stomach.

She was quicker than he'd anticipated, and rolled to the side, the tip of his spear hitting the metal wall with a clang instead. He stumbled, momentum carrying him off balance slightly. As he righted himself and circled to face her, she flung a dagger – she must have picked it up outside because he hadn't noticed it. It grazed his shoulder, ripping a hole in his shirts and nipping through his skin, leaving a long, shallow cut. But she didn't have time to follow up on her attack. Eyes blazing, Haze wiped the end of his spear around in an arc, the head cutting across her throat, biting in deep enough to halfway sever it. She fell, eyes wide, blood spurting from her neck and bubbling at her lips.

Haze paused, letting out a slow breath. The spear was certainly sharp enough. And now he's christened it, too. He turned back to the mouth of the Cornucopia. Things seemed to be winding down, and now that the initial buzz of his first kill was fading, his shoulder was beginning to sting. He sighed in annoyance. Argona was better than he'd been expecting, and he hadn't wanted to get hurt so early on. But it wasn't serious. He'd just have to keep it clean.

Now he could worry about supplies – there was plenty to choose from in the Cornucopia. He grabbed one of the backpacks and stuffed things inside – a blanket roll, a bottle of painkillers and a water bottle. He found a hunting knife, turning it over in his hands thoughtfully. Knives were not his specialty, but it was better to have a backup, should someone get in under his guard, or catch him without his spear. He tucked it under his belt for safekeeping.

He would not allow himself to get too cocky. Haze reached in his pocket, rubbing the cowrie shell while he had a moment. He would get through this. He would make Cass proud. That was the goal. He could not afford to fail.


Haze picked up:
1 Spear
1 Large Backpack
1 Blanket roll
1 Bottle of painkillers
1 Water bottle
1 Hunting knife