The final tributes...

[x5452]

WHO| Max, Grey, and any other Tributes left?
WHAT| KABOOM!
WHEN| The final minutes of the Hunger Games Arena02!
WHERE| At the Cornucopia
WARNING/NOTES| violence, death

Max looked up from Kevin's corpse in time to hear Eliot's shout, and see the rebar drop out of Grey's hands. "No!" she cried out, her expression darkening.


"Hey!" she called out. "It's just you and me! You want to win? You want to win? I'm going to kill you!" Max appeared to be in an unthinkable rage, and yet...she turned and ran.

Max was anything but in a rage. She would grieve for Eliot later - he was a good soldier, a good man, and had deserved better. But for now, she had to lead Grey back to where the explosives were planted. Carefully, she stuck her hand in her pocket, reaching gingerly for the trigger device.

Comments

[greymatter]

The doctor's head jerks up at the sound of the yell, the maddened grin of blood lust fading as he seeks out it's source. The girl. Of course. It's just the two of them now, just the way he wanted it. She'd be easy enough to remove from the competition.

Standing, he starts towards her, but pauses when she begins to run in the opposite direction. Her words don't match her actions. The man's eyes narrow in suspicion, and his eyes sweep the surrounding area for signs of a trap.

[x5452]

There is no obvious trap, but it's clear she's trying to force him into action. Max could wait him out, but sooner or later the Gamemakers would drive them together, and Max would rather have it be under her terms.

Around the corner of a building, Max waited, ears keened for signs of his potentially following, and inwardly cursed herself. Tactical errors such as this would have gotten her punished back at Manticore.

[greymatter]

Clicking his tongue, Grey momentarily debates with himself. Perhaps he's overestimating her. She's just a girl, after all. More likely, she thinks she'll have the advantage of surprise if she hides first.

He retrieves the spear from Eliot's body before heading after Max, still somewhat cautious. The arena itself warranted it, if nothing else.

[x5452]

The treatments the Capitol had given her has suppressed her heightened senses, but they were still at human peak, and Max could hear Grey coming. She breathed out as shallowly as she could, thankful that her initial flub was overlooked.

Her eyes darted to the alley at the end of which the explosive had been planted. She had to think of a way to trap him in there, and maneuver herself out before hitting her detonator.

Affecting a scowl, she strode out into the street, where he could see her. She'd probably have to engage him a bit before luring him into the alley. Grey was clever, and if she ran like a rabbit it would be too obvious. She'd have to at least appear to have some bravado.

Maybe let him beat her a bit, so he'd think when she broke off he could hunt her down and go for the kill...

[greymatter]

The scientist limps towards where he saw Max disappear, the re-bar in one hand and the spear in the other. He can feel his fever spiking again. If he doesn't end this soon and get treatment, he'll likely die of blood poisoning. Two more left. Just two more.

The man pauses, quirking an eyebrow, when Max strides out into the street in front him before grinning. Coming to play after all? He quickens his gait, making for her with a swing of the re-bar.

[x5452]

[[Well, shit. Okay, editing. A LOT.]]

[x5452]

It's like Sophie's Choice - the rebar,or the spear?


Either way, he's far more armed than Max would like. Getting into close quarters will make the spear difficult, but not impossible to use. She needs to even the odds a bit.

Max's feet shift, her boots making crunchy sounds as they twist against the cracked pavement, her back arching as she leans to avoid the swing of the rebar. Waiting until the arc of the swing is complete, Max reaches out to try and grab at the spear and torque it enough to force Grey to let go of it and leave it in her hands.

[greymatter]

Unlike Max, Grey is not particularly trained in the art of weaponry. He's also not particularly keen on the idea of losing the spear and fights to keep it in his grasp, though it costs him his balance.

[x5452]

It's going to be a battle of wills...and strength. Max doesn't let go of the spear, but seeing him start to lose his balance, she thrusts in that direction, trying to further his tip-over and possibly get him on the ground.

[greymatter]

Grey curses his wounded leg and the fever's dizziness both as he finds himself on the ground, and he swings the re-bar sharply for Max's shins. Clearly the girl has had martial arts training.

hope the icon isn't offensive, but it just seemed appropriate!

[x5452]

The good news (for Max) is that when Grey goes down, she promptly brings her boot down right on the wrist of the hand still holding the spear. Hopefully that's enough to make him let go of it.

The bad news? Is that he manages to swing that rebar with enough energy to get her just below the knee. Max lets out a hiss of pain and staggers...fortunately though, his weakened condition means he doesn't manage to dislocate her knee. It hurts like hell, though.

Making another grab for the spear, if successful she uses it to lean against and try to hobble away.

Haha, no, it's fine!

[greymatter]

Grey hisses as her weight threatens the bones of his wrist, releasing the spear at last. He twists as soon as her boot lifts, ready to fend off the spear, but finds that she's chosen to retreat. How much damage did his blow deal? He couldn't see where it landed, but it was high up on her leg. Could he have taken out a knee?

Using the re-bar to help himself up, he begins to limp after her, snickering. "...Going somewhere?"

Re: Haha, no, it's fine!

[x5452]

Good. He's following her. And he hasn't realized the level of damage he dealt.

The truth is, Max is definitely finding the spear helpful - but she could manage, under normal circumstances, without it. So it's not that her hobbling is entirely faked, but it's not as severe as she's making it out to be.

She casts a determined look over her shoulder and makes an awkward beeline like a limping animal for an alley between two buildings.

She needs to get this timing right. She needs to be on the other end of the alley by the time he's halfway through. If she doesn't, she'll lose the opportunity that Tony Stark gave her, even if he hadn't ever intended to.

Re: Haha, no, it's fine!

[greymatter]

His grin widens as she hobbles desperately for the alleyway, for cover. She looks like prey to him.

The scientist licks his dry and cracking lips. Parched. He can feel the sweat beading on his forehead. And yet, he can't seem to suppress the shudders that the sudden chills have brought.

Re: Haha, no, it's fine!

[x5452]

He's following, she thinks. Good, good.

She's halfway through the alley now, casting desperate glances behind her. The bottom of the spear makes a clicking sound against the ground as she uses it for support, but her free hand is reaching into her pocket, caressing the detonator and quelling her urge to click it. Can't be too soon.

[greymatter]

The re-bar makes a scraping sound as it's dragged along the ground after him, his gait slightly unsteady as he limps after her. He tries to close the gap between them, but he doesn't want to overexert himself. Not in this heat. Not in his condition.

[x5452]

She reaches the end of the alley, turning to check behind her. Spotting him, he's moving slow and that's...rather perfect, really.

She turns to watch him approach, his slow process, her expression seeming to suggest she's realized the futility of running.

Just a little closer...just a little closer!

[greymatter]

Near delirious with fever, it doesn't strike him to consider whether this is odd or not. To reconsider whether or not there may be a trap in wait. She's turned to face him and he fully intends to end this battle the winner.

Smirking at her, he quickens his pace, eager to end her life and move on to the last tribute.

[x5452]

[OOC: Err. I thought we were the last Tributes?]

[x5452]

[OOC: I posed to her asking, and she never responded. So I'm assuming we're the final two.]

[x5452]

There he is.

Max, reaching the end of the alley way, watches him take those last few steps.

"Hey." she calls out to him suddenly. "There's something you need to know."

Raising her hand, she shows him the clicker. Locks eyes with her opponent, and brings her thumb down against the button of the detonator. -click-.


BOOM.

[greymatter]

Blinking, he pauses when she calls out to him. Something he needs to...? His eyes focus on the detonator as she raises it, registering confusion for several seconds before his mind can swim past the fever and grasp just what he's looking at.

Oh.

The explosion kills him instantly, little left behind but lumps of unidentifiable flesh and cloth, and a neatly intact cybernetic arm.