thearena | Mini Arena 2

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Mini Arena 2

Tributes are woken early, and the hovercraft ride is a long one. Not the longest some have experienced, but they are clearly going far.

25 - 24 - 23

They land on the deck of the boat, and are ushered underneath, to the lower levels, quickly. Their stylists go from cabin to cabin, decking them out in over the top finery, before loading them into the pods installed into the corners of the rooms.

20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16

The platforms lift them up, and they are all ringed around a grand buffet table, loaded with a grand feast looking ready to sag down from the weight. Among the food are supplies, plenty of them, all for the taking.

11- 10 - 9 - 8

They've all been warned, don't step off your pedestal early. They have also been warned to put on a good show. That's all this is about, a good show. None of them have been told that there can be multiple winners this time around.

5 - 4

3

2

The sound of the gong plays crystal clear across the opening. The games have begun.

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Jet. Albert can hear him, tinny as his voice echoes though the rubble and around the metal corridor but still his partner. He's suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of urgent negativity, wanting to tell Jet to leave - or better, hoping that Initiate doesn't tell him who's trapped on the other side of the wall of shrapnel. There's nothing they can do for him and Jet having to watch him die again, this time slowly, is too much. He can just prey that Initiate has some sense.

It's a short-lived hope and he closes his eyes in resignation once the large Troll shouts his name with that talking quirk of his. He can see Jet face in his mind's eye, blue eyes widening in realization, turning towards the mess and immediately trying to find some way through, some way to move it, something, anything he can do even when it's clear there's nothing.

He can't handle his partner in pain like that, angry and railing against the inevitable as he always does.

"Jet, it's useless. There's nothing that can be done. Go with Cecil and Initiate." If Cecil's even still alive. He doubts it. And moreover his voice is weak trying to talk around the lump in his throat, trying to send Jet away when he can feel himself bleeding out and the water's creeping up his chest, soaking the dress shirt in what feels like ice as he slowly runs out of room to breathe. He can't even tell if he'll drown or bleed out first and all he wants is to touch Jet's fingers before he goes.

But he can't ask even that much. Not when his life would be put in danger by it too. "Just go! All of you!"

The sudden yelling is off-putting, but once it registers what was said, it might as well have been a whisper for how much attention it's paid. Albert was stuck on the other side. And before he can rake together his suddenly racing thoughts to give his name, he can hear his partner's voice distantly though the metal barrier and it makes desperation flair even brighter in his mind.

He'd gone looking for him and found him when it was too late. No, he had to try, even as he knew it was hopeless, giving up wasn't an option. Just as Albert predicted, Jet moved to go towards the metal separating him from his goal, but the large troll was standing there as a second barrier and it took everything in the blond's power not to turn his ire on him instead. It wasn't his fault, he vaguely even appreciated the protective gesture...but it was in his way right now.

"Jet. I'm his fiance, so let me try and help."

Of course, what could he do? He could guess they'd tried moving the metal and weren't able to and if a guy as large as this guy was couldn't move the metal, what could Jet do with his flimsy flesh and bone arms? There was the hole Cecil had pointed to...they were close enough in build, Jet could probably get himself through there too. He'd have to try it.

He tried to soften his expression, offer some of the thankfulness that he felt that Albert wasn't left alone show. "He's right though, you should get out of here, no point in you staying when you can still try and survive."

Cause Jet wasn't going to, he'd made his choice

He hasn't the faintest motherfucking idea what as a fiance is like as to be. But he registers the note of belonging to the other and assumes it's likely something important. Beyond that, he doesn't much care enough to find out at the moment. He steps aside to let Jet pass.

The Initiate gives about as much attention to Albert's pleas for them to leave that Jet does. If only perhaps a bit more because the water is rising and he's already tried and failed to save more than one person today.

Jet however, manages to catch him. His mouth opens without knowing what at all he ought to say. He wants him to just leave them? But then they'll both die. This motherfucker's got for chance all ripe and legit for surviving. Why throw that away?

Maybe for a quadrant.

Either way, he can, Jet ain't going no where. His mouth closes. His eyes squeeze shut. The water is rising. They've both made their choice. He opens his eyes and doesn't say a word, just nods once and turns away.

"Idiot," he calls over the sound of rushing water, of sparks from the hallway, but it doesn't pack much punch. He slams his fists uselessly against the floor, splashing in the rising tide and lacking any real satisfaction there either.

He's helpless, hopeless, and now Jet's going to throw his life away - throw potential victory away - simply because Albert had gotten himself trapped. "Idiot, don't do this! It's pointless! Just go!"

It's all he can do to yell at Jet until his hoarse and know it will do no good.

"Shut up, Al."

Jet watches the troll go a moment before turning to consider the hole in the rubble. Albert's light insults and orders to leave go thoroughly ignored beyond Jet's first response.

It would be a tight squeeze and he couldn't afford anything extra on his person in case it got caught, so the items he'd grabbed at the cornucopia are dropped without a second thought. He gave the space a second go over with his eyes, assessing the best way to go through and where he might hold to pull himself through, before actually climbing into the rubble.

As he pulls himself through, something seems to press against his side and back, but it doesn't rip or catch on anything, simply makes things a bit more uncomfortable before he was finally able to get his shoulders through. Once they were free, the rest of him was easy and he was soon at the German's side, trying to inspect the debris covering his partner's legs. It definitely didn't look good. The water was too red and the metal too close to the floor; it had crushed him. Even if he were able to get Albert out now, his injuries were still likely to kill him.

This was it.

"You just don't know how to stay out of trouble without me, do you?" The lightly teasing remark is made with a small smile dampened by the reality that there was nothing he could do to help but stay with the older man.

"You bastard," he tries to snarl but there's no real punch in it at all. "You're perfectly healthy, you could have helped others, or won yourself. Now you'll just die pointlessly."

Like him. He should have been able to help Cecil, help anyone, and instead he's practically just a torso in a slowly filling fishbowl and this prodigious moron has to come in and stay with him when he could have been so much more useful elsewhere.

And Albert can't fathom how grateful he is he doesn't have to die slowly and alone. Guilty, surely, but grateful all the same.

He grabs Jet's hand, pulling him away from the debris and closer so he can rest his forehead against the palm. "You complete dope."

"Yeah...that's me."

Jet settles down next to his partner and wraps his arm around the German's shoulders, his other hand moving to press against Albert's chilled forehead in an attempt to warm it. It was pointless when they would soon both be frozen in the chilled waters, but it was for comfort's sake. Anything he could do to help his fiance.

"I tried that helping people thing..." And he'd gotten Joan killed with it. "But seems most people are smart enough to head up as soon as the ship started sinking."

He wasn't going to ask what Albert had been thinking or why he hadn't gone up as soon as possible, it didn't matter anymore.

"When we wake up, let's just wrap up in the biggest blanket we got with some hot chocolate and that nasty grass-water of yours and...I dunno...anything." Anything warm, anything that had to do with them remaining close and not dying, anything at all as long as they thought about that now and not how cold the water was or how their limbs were going numb as the water steadily rose.

"You're such an idiot," he's a broken record, it seems as if all he can do is grind epithets at his fiance for giving up just because Albert is stuck, but there's no conviction there at all, especially not with his arms coming to snake around Jet as best he can, not clinging, not really, but... holding.

He's just so cold, sitting here feeling his life drain out of him by degrees and his legs go numb. That, at least, is a help. No more pain there, just nothing. He's glad he didn't have to look at the damage, all punctured and flatted and looking nothing like human limbs. He's glad Jet didn't have to see either.

He's glad Jet's here, even as much as he hates knowing what it means for him ultimately.

Albert turns his head into Jet's side as the water starts to lap under his arms. It won't be long before it gets too high to breathe over. He's not sure he'll last that long with how the room starts to keen and his thoughts slide from one thing to another. That he does know the feeling of, that feeling of slipping away. He closes his eyes and resolves to fight it for as long as he can. It's hard, but to just let himself slip would be harder on Jet.

He buries his nose against the blond's ribs. Warmth. "That sounds good."

Jet curled himself as much as he could around his fiance, trying to keep him warm even as the water saturated his clothing. He couldn't feel anything below the waist, he couldn't feel anything past his elbows and the feeling was spreading.

"You should sleep, Al. When you wake up, we'll be back in the tower."

He could feel the older man getting colder and not just from the water, his life was fading and Jet would rather the German die in his arms or just give in to the blood loss Jet knew was threatening him; it would be better if Albert was out cold and spared the pain of drowning.

"No."

As much better as it would be to just succumb to his blood loss and pass out, how much easier to die that way than though the water filling his lungs, he can't leave Jet to die alone. His partner had stayed for him, no matter how much he hadn't wanted him to. How could Albert do any less than the same.

"No, I won't leave you. Not yet."

"Now who's the idiot?" There's no anger, only a hint of exasperation as Jet's fingers trace through silver hair.

Even he was beginning to feel sleepy as the icy water froze him. His mind fought for something to ramble about, something to take Albert's thoughts elsewhere, but he came up blank.

"How 'bout we just fall asleep together, then? Make the time go by."

To go himself is unacceptable, but together, both cradled by the icy water and drifting back to the Capitol entwined in each other's arms sounds alright. Welcome, even, after struggling this long to even keep conscious. He's pale as death already and his breathing is slow, becoming labored as his heart tries desperately to pump too little blood through his system against the loss of the same. He manages a nod and small motion meant to burrow him closer into Jet's side.

But something still bothers him. He has to know, and he struggles to get the words out. "Cecil... did he...?"

Did he make it? Did Initiate take him to find safety? Albert couldn't see through the wreck and he knows not all of the blood in the water is his own but he has to know for sure, has to find out if all he'd tried to help the poor man was for naught.

Good. It was probably the best option they had and it didn't sound too bad. Jet couldn't pass out from bloodloss, but maybe he'd freeze to death and lose consciousness before the water could over take him. All he could do was hope on that front.

He shook his head, though he knew his partner couldn't see it. "Didn't make it. Looked like he got pretty badly wounded and couldn't take it. Sorry, Al."

Jet knew he'd been hoping to protect Cecil, but in an arena, that was easier said than done. The worst part was, he couldn't even offer the thought that Cecil would be waking up back in the capitol soon; he was a resident of Panem, they might not revive him after this 'punishment.'

Either way, Jet was sure Albert had tried his best and it was out of their hands now.

Albert closes his eyes again, allowing himself a moment of mourning. He'd tried to keep Cecil safe, and he hopes at least the Avox knows he has a friend among the tributes. To accept it is something else, but all Albert asks is that he knows.

If he wakes up again, that is. There's no guarantee. Not for any of them, not really.

A shiver crawls up Albert's spine but he barely feels it, only knowing it happened because he shakes in Jet's arms and he can feel his teeth clattering, but even that last only a short time. His body barely has the energy for even that anymore.

"It can be hot chocolate. I know... how much you hate tea..." His voice trails off, bubbling strangely in the back of his throat. Distantly, he realizes its because the water's reached his chin.

His brow creases and he tilts his partner's head back a bit, getting the back of it more wet but affording him a bit more time before the water over took his face. He was prolonging the inevitable, they didn't have much longer.

"Yeah, you and your watery grass...we'll find some marshmallows to put in the chocolate and we'll curl up like all those times when it was snowing in Germany and we curled up by your heater."

He didn't even know if Albert could hear him anymore, but he kept talking anyway, even as chills overtook him and chattered his teeth putting a rattle in his voice.

As the ice splintering in him finally reached into his core, he distantly wished for those days again. Simple days when drowning wasn't a possibility for them. It was bittersweet, but it was what he decided to focus on until he couldn't focus anymore. It was better than thinking about Albert getting heavier in his arms or the steady rise of the water level.

He doesn't want to raise his head. It seems like too supreme an effort and even though Jet does it for him he can still feel the water trying to get at his mouth and throat. It's inevitable, what's the point.

"...miss that..." He speaks now as if his voice comes through a radio without proper reception, only bits of thought transmitted through his mouth. "...laying... in my lap..."

He coughs after the last, the bubbling sound doing nothing to clear his throat, only allowing water in instead. Another moment and he'll be submerged. He won't have to fight anymore.

His hand finds Jets and clasps it tightly.

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Mini Arena 2

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