Carlos wandered through the woods, late at night. Swann and Yoshi realized that when stealing supplies from the glacier, they'd missed the food items, and sent him out to try and find some food. He had a bow over one shoulder, and several arrows clutched in one hand. He was pretty sure that wasn't how you were supposed to carry such a weapon, but it was easiest for him.

After wandering for a half hour, he saw a white bird sitting in a tree. A dove. He grinned, knelt down, and fumbled with the arrows until he managed to produce just one. The rest fell on the ground as he notched the bow, and... the dove fell out of the tree, an arrow in its chest. Carlos let out a brief shout of triumph.

He walked over to where he believed the bird had fallen, but couldn't find it anywhere, he whirled around. Something was up. It was dark, and everything was harshly illuminated by the full moon.

Carlos, panicking now, took a step back to pick up his arrows. As soon as he did so, an arm wrapped around his chest, and one of his own arrows was held to his throat.

"Hello." a boy whispered in his ear.

Carlos stood completely still.

"Oh, don't worry, I have no intention of hurting you."

The boy let him out of his embrace, and Carlos took a large step back, and turned around quickly. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"Really? We're skipping introductions?" the blonde haired boy drawled. "Talk about rude. Anyway, names Brian. I already know who you are, Carlos."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter. I believe you were looking for this?" Brian went on, holding up the dove.

"Give that back to me." Carlos said.

"I'm only here because I wanted to have a little fun. I suppose you could say... I need a little inclination to give it back." Brian grinned.

That conversation was never finished because at the moment, a blonde haired girl ran past, missing the two of them in their hurry.

"Never mind, you'll get the dove if you help me follow this girl." Brian said quickly, bravado gone, and he took off.

Carlos, not knowing what else to do, followed.

Brian and Carlos carefully followed the blonde haired girl, neither of them speaking a word.

Eventually, the flickering glow of a fire came into view, and Carlos and Brian his behind two trees near the camp the fire was in the middle of.

The girl met up with two other girls, and Carlos learned that the girl they had been following was named Chelsea, and she was meeting up with Erin and Maya in secret, something her alliance was unaware of, and that they were supposed to keep secret from another girl named... Kat.

He knew that name. This Kat... she came up to him, and Swann, and Yoshi on the day they were leaving the tribute building. She wanted to join their group... Is that what this Chelsea did? Is that what Erin and Maya also tried to do? What was this?

He looked over at Brian. "This Kat, she-"

Brian shot him a look of death, and imitated zipping his lips shut.

It didn't take long for them to finish their conversation. Chelsea decided to spend the night at their camp, and Brian and Carlos quietly retreated.

Once they got out of hearing range, Carlos exploded. "Kat, she tried to befriend me, and they're part of a secret group trying to bring something down?"

"I know, I know." Brian muttered. "That Maya tried to form an alliance with me as well, and in case you weren't aware, I heard everything you did."

"What are we going to do?" Carlos asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to have to eliminate them before they destroy us and everyone we care about."

"What? No, that's- that's actually killing someone, and I won't do it."

"Alright, take it this way." Brian explained. "These girls have already killed one person due to their devious schemes, and although they felt guilty, they're not going to stop. Who's next? You? Me? Your friends? Some innocent 12 year old? We need to put an end to them before they put an end to us."

Carlos sat there for a minute, thinking.

"Swann and Yoshi, Carlos. Even me, your new best friend. We could all be dead, and then where would you be?"

"Alright, alright, I'll do it, just don't you dare pin this on me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Brian grinned. "Now that you're on board, this is what we're going to do. We're going to bury them alive, under the weight of all the secrets they've been keeping."

Brian and Carlos spent all of the next day preparing their trap. A giant pit, covered by a netting that would blend into the forest floor in the dead of night. And then they waited. Nearly 24 hours from when Brian and Carlos had first met, Carlos went off to their camp. He was the bait.

He stumbled in, pretending to be lost, starving, and confused. "Help me." he begged.

Maya rose to her feet, gripping a spear. Erin quickly followed. Chelsea remained seated, but watched carefully.

"We have no help to give." Maya said."

"Please." Carlos begged. "I'm starving, and I saw a fruit tree a little ways back, but I'm not athletic enough to climb it."

Erin shook her head, but Chelsea rose to her feet. "You guys are heartless. Come on, give the tough act a break, he needs help."

"We don't know if we can trust him." Erin muttered.

"Fine, bring your spears then, its three to one if it comes to that."

Carlos bit his lip. He really hoped it wouldn't come down to that.

"Lead the way." Chelsea said.

Carlos did so, Chelsea striding confidently behind him, Erin and Maya more hesitantly behind.

As they walked, Carlos thought. He didn't even know if what he was doing was right, he was trusting a guy who'd held an arrow against his throat the day before. And he was missing Kat, and if he couldn't get rid of all four of them, was it really worth it?

—————

Kia talked into a microphone. "You guys are doing great out there, keep up the good work." She ended that conversation, and started another.

"Eric?" she asked. There was a muffled reply. "Send in the prisoner."

The door opened after a few minutes, and a young man was shoved in.

"This isn't you Kia." the man whispered.

"What makes you say that?" Kia asked.

"I heard so much about you from Leo, and you were innocent, sweet, not whatever this is."

Kia sat up her in her chair, and stared the man in the eye. "I thought that out of everyone, you'd understand the most Alan. Grief changes a person. I lost Leo when I was just 7. You lost Anastasia when you were- what, 15? Imagine the effect of losing a loved one on such a poor, innocent, naive girl, and to something as barbaric as the Death Games."

"Don't you dare bring up Anastasia." Alan spat.

"I have every right Alan. Not talking about her isn't going to change anything after 17 years."

That shut Alan up.

"Allow me to continue my story. You see, when I lost Leo, I also lost my parents. They changed, Alan. Changed because of what you avoided and what my brother succumbed to. Michael's poison. Grief changed them, just as it has changed me. Hell, my parents told me Leo was on an extended trip with my grandparents until I finally got wise in my early teens."

Alan shook his head. "Wait, how?"

"They isolated and cut me off from society, Alan. I wasn't allowed to leave the house for years. They threw me out when I got unbearable and started to remind them to much of what we'd all lost. I brought up my darling brother too much. But when that finally happened, well, I knew who to blame."

"And who's that?" Alan asked.

Kia looked at him oddly. "It never fails to amaze me how disappointing you are. Think on it in your cell, you're smarter than this."