Fire With Fire (Cinder)

Deep into the darkness where I hide
The monsters all dig down deep inside
You never know when they're satisfied
Buried down deep where the sun don't shine
The monsters are buried down deep inside

Arcadia was slick with sweat. She had been planning on reaching District Two tomorrow evening, but after awhile she couldn't seem to control her body. Rebellion! Her arms would not stop pumping the rhythm the rest of her body followed, fast, fast, faster she pushed herself for two days, stopping only when necessary and collapsing on the forest ground every morning, a heap of a girl too tired to go on. She had been traveling by the cover of night, never once bothered by Peacekeepers.

Only a few hours ago she had found herself approaching the center of District Two. She slipped through a small Career-made hole that was very familiar. Then Arcadia found herself pausing, catching her breath and taking in her surroundings. First her instincts told her to check for any Careers nearby, then she found herself just drinking in the site of her sorely missed home. Cady knew the life of a wanderer was not for her. Even here, she was grounded, bound to her awful Father and every memory she possessed revolved around her beloved, crazy District. Home.

Finally she made the unconscious decision to go to the largest training center the District had to offer. There would be weapons and clothes suited for the harsh cold of the woods. She could steal anything and everything she would need for her year of living in the wild. Then Cady would leave, she would escape her fathers wrath and kill anybody who got in the way. That was a fact.

She found herself slipping unnoticed into the training center, a sense of unease overwhelming the Career. A window--a bloody window had been left unlocked. No trainer would be dumb enough to leave the center open, she thought just as she landed with a soft thud on the ground and the sound of utter silence reached her ears. Her eyes narrowed and that sixth-sense only the best of killers such as herself alerted her to the presence of another person. It was not uncommon--a Career training so late at night. Hadn't Cady trained in the woods night after night the last few weeks? She cursed herself. Being alone in the woods had dulled her person-sensers.

Cady-Bird debated flying away, out through that same unlocked window, away from whatever Career was lurking, but she found herself drawn to another person. Had people heard about her sudden disappearance? Had Father already payed the strongest Careers to look for her? Her blue eyes gleamed dangerously. She was finally free to an extent. No way was some punk kid going to drag her back home to her god-awful grandfather.

Not over her pretty, dead body. The thought of herself as a corpse, pale and frozen for eternity comforted (and admittedly frightened) Cady. At least in death she would be completely free. So although it was a dumb move she let herself call out to the other person near her. "I'm here," she whispered and instantly began to silently move to her left, afraid that if she stayed rooted to the ground an arrow or spear would end up in her body and her dreams of being a free, good-looking corpse would be attainable.

ooc- Mm I have muse for this thread but that post doesn't really show it...

Situation's all critical
You've got to look first before you go
If you wasn't too sure then now you know
The situation is all critical

She couldn't help but laugh maniacally. This was a rare treat now wasn't it, thought the Career within. His name had popped into her head at the sound of the gravelly, rough voice. Of course she knew who it was, the little twirp. Nero. Arcadia felt herself crouch down low in a defensive position, and her fingers gently caressed the knife strapped to her leg. Yeah, she was that cool. Arcadia had a thigh-sheath that concealed her trusty weapon of choice at all times.

"He speaks," she purred in a disturbingly Career voice. The lover Cady who preferred smores over wars and hugs instead of Career performance inducing drugs was quickly smothered by the stronger, powerful side of Arcadia. The dark side. "Yes thats true," she responded in an off-hand manner, using all of her self-restraint. How dare the boy think he was better than her! They both knew they could find twenty different ways to kill each other in less than twenty seconds with only a paper clip--why flaunt bigger muscles or faster legs? Arcadia had never approached Nero before, never asked to duel him (and Father had never really told her to) and he certainly had not approached her--what with his silent, brooding vibe? His superior attitude. Arcadia physically turned her nose up at him and walked away whenever she ran into the guy.

She grinned in the dark, her perfect, white teeth flashing. A weak voice in the back of her head called out to Arcadia, speaking reason and truth. Honesty words that belonged to the separate girl inside of the Career body. How easily I become what I once was, she mused silently, no matter what i say or do, the monster will always be inside of me. She shifted her weight and curled her fingers in a come-and-get-me gesture as the approaching figure grew close enough for her eyes to confirm what her mind already knew.

Her rival, Nero, the punk who was practically mute stood before her. Cady drew her weapon of choice and spoke once more in a ghostly, twisted tone of voice. "My grandfather may have rigged whatever poll you heard of, but that doesn't mean I'm a weaker Career. It just means people like a pretty blonde with a nice facade better than a freakish, surged out little boy who's too dumb to speak." And so she returned his verbal blow tenfold. She was cranky and hungry and sweaty from running--Arcadia was in the mood to get in a fight.

And win.

ooc- I didn't give you much to work with in my last post. Tell me if you need more action in this one. I'm trying out a new policy of actions speak louder than words (or crazy, rambling thoughts in my case)

BTW Shes going to suggest they fight hand to hand-ish in my next post so we dont end up killing the two of them. Theyre both too fun for that...

I ran out of emo quotes...
so I decided to make one for my own.
life sucks, life sucks, life sucks
and so does Nero

this pic is funny

Okay, so the little boy was playing with his toy spear. Arcadia sneered, half delighted, half amused and sorta, kinda, in the deep, deep, deep part of her head. She was impressed. He lunged at her, but Miss London was too fast. Either that or the dumbarse Career had figured out that letting that thing run her through so quickly was not much fun. But then again, he was the stupid one, right? Don't underestimate your opponent, Cady-Bird. Especially another Career. This kid just hesitated, he didn't kill you when he had the chance so he's going to pay because Cady-Bird, you're going to get him next time. Now.

She grunted like an over-eager tennis player and lunged at him, knife extended. She slashed through air, and for a split-moment Arcadia wondered if the air was hurt. She was cutting it. Didn't everything hurt when you cut it? Head out of the clouds! Cady wasn't too sure if she'd managed to get Nero, even knick him. She immediately was slithering back, hiding behind some of the equipment.

"That the best you got, kid?" she called as she silently circled the gym, her eyes darting from place to place. Her head was in fight-mode, her body was quivering. Already her vision was narrow, a sure sign that you were fighting for your life. Her trusty knife glinted as a stray ray of moonlight bounced off of it and she mentally cursed herself for being such neat freak. A little crusty blood to camouflage her shiny weapon would be good now in the dimly lit gym. Then again, a machine gun would be good too but like daddy dearest always said, work with what you got.

She bit back another comment designed to lure Nero out into the open and face her like a real man-boy. Broadcasting her location to a suped-up, buff enemy with a spear he clearly could handle really wasn't the brightest idea of the day. Arcadia drew back into the shadows again and waited, her legs already itching to run if things got out of hand. It would be a cowards move, but Cady had a helluva lot of self-preservation packed into her skinny, yet long body.

Cady was fast, she really, really was--is but Nero was experienced, he had obviously been using a spear for some time. She barely had enough time to turn her body and try to jump away before flesh was being ripped. Her stomach was suddenly peaking out through a hole in her shirt, and red blood seeped from her insides. Luckily, she had turned quickly enough that Nero hadn't been able to kill her, or even seriously injure her, but hot damn! It still hurt.

She jumped backwards, her back pressed against the wall of the gym. Suddenly she found herself flinching in pain. Lesser Careers would think that they had hurt her badly enough to inspire that slight, yet noticeable reaction. Nero clearly didn't believe this was so, or just wanted to make sure she was dead before he let his guard down. Cady barely had a second to move before he was lunging at her, ready to run her through. The teen slipped away as an onslaught of memories pressed up against her mind. The true reason why she had flinched when she realized she was backed up against the gym wall, prey to Nero's predator.

There had been a time when Arcadia was a pretty, fourteen year old girl. A good-looking, clever young girl who was pretty much betrothed to an older Career. Yeah--you heard me. Marriage. Some guy, a Career just about ready to volunteer for the Games had sworn to Father that he would win the Games in exchange for Cady. Literally, in order to gain the support of the London household and marry a killer fourteen year old, he would fight to the death in the Arena. Waita make a girl feel important! The guy had been obnoxious and vain though, and antsy to win over his future wife. He had eventually convinced Father to let Arcadia train with him. Just once.

So one lonely Sunday afternoon, he had rented out this very gym in order to do some solo training with Cady. Absolutely alone, with only each other as company. Then he had tried to get his way with her. She had protested, and he hadn't cared. Rape. He was going to brutally take what was left of Cady-Birds innocence. Shoved her up against that very wall and tried to overcome her. The guy had been slightly drunk though, and just as Cady was fleeing a threat now, she had fled then too. She had escaped and made her way home, never to tell a single soul of what had happened. After all she had escaped unharmed. Luckily, the Career hadn't--he died and went to hell about a month later when a better fighter killed him at the Bloodbath of the Hunger Games. So there was a God in this world!

She retreated into another shadowy part of the room, clutching her stomach dramatically. "Oh how it hurts," she called out to Nero, sarcasm dripping from each and every word. Cady London was in pain, but it was manageable and she had to win this fight. (I'm going to skip a little while, have them fight s'more minus the witty comments) And so they did fight, but Cady didn't win. It was pretty even, the two of them circling each other.

It was a dance, really, a beautiful dance that was tense and fluid. They would lunge at each other, back away, run, grapple... really it was a lot of fun, and by the time Arcadia was finding enough room in her head to think about anything besides defense;offense, she found herself to be tired and slick with sweat, Her bloody tummy was already feeling a little bit better even as it throbbed. She finally came up to Nero, panting. "Had enough?" Arcadia sweetly asked, ready to dodge another spear-thrust. She had enough wounds by that goddamned thing to last a lifetime, and she was sure Nero had just as many by her knife.

Cady was... confused.

To say the least, she let a whoosh of air escape her lips, she hadn't even realized she had been holding in so much air. Work on it, Cady, another Career could tell you're nervous if you keep that up. Nero had dropped his weapon and approached her. Instincts took over and Arcadia found herself letting go of her wounded stomach, her hand red with blood. Her knife bearing hand raised, cautiously. Weakly, really.

The Career really had had enough for one night. She looked at him, really looked at him as a person--not as a threat. Sure, even without a spear Nero was dangerous, but Arcadia with a knife was even more so, the kid was too smart to challenge her. Cady let herself take him in, and found a soft smile fighting its way on to her lips. "I've trained here once or twice, I know my way to the back room," she explained, "But..." Once again her piercing blue eyes searched him and she felt a full on grin on her face. A rare occurrence in the Cadyverse. "It seems like you need just about as much attention as I do. Lets go, together?"

Arcadia didn't turn her back to him, not for even one second--but she did slip her knife back into its sheath. Arcadia started out with her hands by her sides, fists clenched tightly, but after glancing at Nero a few times she eased her hands to her stomach and held it. No time to act brave, in front of a knowing Career, it was just plain stupid. Cady wasn't going to let her insides fall out just to appear tough.

She went rigid as they approached the back room, stared at the door for a moment, half turned toward it, half turned toward Nero. How could she turn her back on an enemy? Careers lied. Thats what they did. Thats what she did. Cady felt shame course through her. She could not trust him for even a second, so instead she would have him, the unarmed, wounded, younger Career go before her, the skilled, armed Career. [also wounded but that was beside the point] "Gentleman always open doors for ladies," she started but her cheeks turned a pale pink at the cheesy lie. There was only one reason why she couldn't turn her back on an enemy. "I just can't. Sorry," she added gruffly, suddenly interested in and totally, 'focused,' on Nero's feet.

You see, Cady was keeping a secret. She had known Nero was in the gym when she broke in. She had craved a fight, had set herself up to destroy the excuse for a Career. Cady had been intrigued by her fellow killer for awhile now, ever since she had realized her Father was trying to set her up with a suitable, young Career guy. His name had been on one of those lists. Cady being a little older than him hadn't stopped Father from trying to contact the boys parents. That was why she wanted him dead. Arcadia had watched him for years, and even she was horrified by the precise, artful way he fought. The guy was a machine, and she didn't want him. A few times before she had attempted to kill him, hiding outside his house and waiting for him to go train alone. Armed and ready she had fingered her knife a thousand times and imagined murdering the killer.

This same killer had just let her lived. And he had let her live, her stomach was a dull pain now, but if she had continued to fight the Career would have collapsed and simply let herself die. And now she was staring at him, her face plain as daylight expressing all those hidden emotions. The girl was torn between just getting it over with right now, or just wrapping her arms around him and crying. She was sick of fighting, of death and a non-life planned out for her, but secretly Cady was thinking. She was thinking that being stuck with Nero really wouldn't be that bad.

So what was her choice? "Nero..." she whispered, still confused, there was an airy, wishful tone to her voice. The two paths still were right in front of her, and both would save her life. Father would be satisfied either way, if she was found bonding with one of the greatest Careers of District Two, or if she had brutally killed him and made herself the greatest Career. She clutched at her stomach, silently shaking as Cady realized even if she wanted to, she could not kill him now. She was weak.

There was only one choice left. That, or death by her Father or Nero's hands.

ooc- I hope I gave more to work with