thearena | Arena 12 - The Spaceport

Arena 12 - The Spaceport

As usual the Tributes are woken up early for the start of the arena, leaving the Tribute Centre before dawn. A few hours ride in a hovercraft delivers them to their destination where their excited prep teams will outfit them in skintight suits that are colour coordinated by District (D1 is White, D2 is Red, D3 is Orange, D4 is Aqua, D5 is Purple, D6 is Pink, D7 is Light Green, D8 is Blue, D9 is Yellow, D10 is Dark Green, D11 is Lavender, and D12 is Black) over which they will be put into what is instantly identifiable as a spacesuit, complete with oxygen tank and helmet before being loaded into the tubes.

They rise up into what appears to be outer space and immediately upon emerging from the tubes Tributes will find themselves floating upwards with a length of rope the only thing holding them to their podiums. The countdown crackles out from speakers built into each Tributes helmet.

20

19

18…

The Cornucopia sits in the middle of a dusty crater with buildings surrounding it, made up of a number of chained down cases and cubes in limited numbers. Cubes which sharp-eyed Tributes will note look like they fit into the slots beside the doors that lead into the spaceport.

8

7

6…

The mirrored visors of the uniformly white spacesuits make it impossible to tell friend from foe. Tributes fighting for goods will have to risk harming their friends but the alternative, floating off into space or suffocating when their oxygen runs out, leaves them little choice.

3

2

1…

The gong rings out and the countdown’s voice announces, “the Arena is now open” before the line goes dead. The Games have begun.

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Signless nods. 'Friend of a friend' is as good as any a way to explain their easy familiarity despite so little on-screen interaction. That and it's not unusual for Signless to extend help even to those he doesn't know well; this is hardly the first time he's risked himself to offer aid to another tribute. It's just that this time, though the Capitol doesn't know it, there's little actual risk involved.

"More or less." He shoulders the pack that he managed to grab at the Cornucopia, opens it and begins to rifle through it. "You're hurt. I have supplies -- I don't know if any of them might be useful to you?"

“Yeah, yeah. Lucky for both of us, I’m an open book.” That’s not strictly true. Sam knows how to be an extremely private person - you don’t get to be a part of top secret projects without it - and he knows how to hang on to the secrets he doesn’t want to spill while offering others up to people like a lifeline, a point of connection they can hold on to.

But with other soldiers and friends, he knows there’s a lot more of the ones he’s willing to put out there. He’s already got Clint in the first category, and he has a feeling he’s going to slide pretty quickly into the second, so Sam doesn’t feel like a liar when he says that.

“Come on, I’ll give you the tour, show you where all the supplies are.”

Thankfully, though a little rusty, Nill knows how to multitask, and telling when they might run into other tributes is easy enough. The route probably seems strange and erattic to anyone actually following her. She doesn't look back at Gary, though she continues to 'talk' to him.

"They're dead."

That's not entirely true, and Clint is pretty sure of that. However, he's no where near familiar with Sam, and he doesn't yet know how to read him accurately. Instead, he tips his head, doesn't let much show beyond a somewhat neutral amusement. But so far? Well, he likes Sam.

So he can nod, shifting a bit and stepping closer to follow Sam around.

"Lead on, man."

That's -- that's impossible. Everybody knows who James Barnes is, especially by Clint's time. Hell, he used to play Captain America and the Howling Commandos with Bar--with his brother, a long time ago. It's not the answer he was expecting, not at all. But the second, well.

Clint freezes, eyes wide, gaze dropping to the gleaming metal hand Bucky's staring at. The Winter Soldier was a myth, it was a ghost story told to green snipers it was -- Natasha getting shot, showing up with a hole in her abdomen and a vendetta upon her shoulders. She'd looked at him and Clint had known there was a threat out there neither of them could combat alone, maybe one they would have a hard time with together. Which really just means he's backing up, ready to run.

"Bullshit."

It's not, oh it's not and he knows it now, he's fucked--

Logically speaking, Darcy's offers make perfect sense. Iskierka can't know everyone in the Capitol and she knows very well that there are social circles that she isn't - or doesn't want to be - part of.

Unfortunately, logical is not a thing she wants to be right now. She's gotten used to not having her captain, but the Capitol having taking her horns hurts, in ways more than the physical. Kaziliks have always been hard dragons to decoy, and it's her profile that her so. Her horns, now cut away so that she can be shoved into the mockery of an outfit that the Capitol has only half-explained.

The comment about chilling is the last straw. She has only the vaguest idea of what it means, but it's enough; rather than so much as bother to speak, there's a low snarl and then she lunges at Darcy, aiming to catch her by whatever means necessary.

The gradual drop in energy is more than apparent to Dave. The idea that someone might swoop in is more and more unlikely and Dave is starting to realise that this is absolutely going to shit. It's almost like a tangible drop in temperature that even he can feel.

Perhaps it's just the feeling of dread taking over, or just really intense empathy, but the time it takes Tony to reply is telling. When he finally speaks, Dave tries not to sound too hinged on the reply. Hell, he scoffs at the comparison Tony makes. He's about to quip back but it dies in his throat when Tony falls silent.

"Hey." He can't help saying that, even everything about Tony is tellingly empty right now. He reaches out to give him a push, just to be sure. "Aw, c'mon." He sounds exasperated, pushing his palm to his forehead and gradually threading his fingers into his hair while hissing shiiiit under his breath. Usually his first instinct would be to get the fuck away from the body, but he lingers both out of disbelief and protectiveness before he finally pushes himself up to stand.

"You better fucking come back." He says, pointing authoritatively at the corpse before he turns to go. It's hard to just walk off on him, it feels rude, but he has shit to handle and his corpse won't get excavated if Dave lingers on the scene.

Darcy attempts to dodge the lunging dragon. Actually, it's less an attempt, but a successful-but-not-in-the-ideal-way dodge. She weaves back, almost looking like she's in between trying to limbo and do a shitty pirouette. For her efforts, she does manage to evade Iskierka's grasp.

Of course, that's only because she feels something in her ankle crunch and her equilibrium get utterly fucked so she falls backwards, her feet in the air until she slams her full bodyweight into the ground, all focused on her tailbone. She lets out a shriek of pain that hits a register she was totally unaware her voice was capable of.

She'd be impressed if she weren't A) terrified and B) in a world of pain that pretty much keeps her from being able to see straight for a few moments. She luckily manages to slam back into awareness so that she begins to attempt crabwalking away as fast as she can manage. Which admittedly isn't all that fast.

At that assessment Bucky shrugs his shoulders and starts to to rip off what remains of the sleeve since it's useless now. He'll save the scraps for bandaging material, Bruce and Sam would prefer that. "You can believe what you want. Ask Steve, when we get to him."

Despite the fact that Barton is obviously not taking the revelation well (and he doesn't blame him, really, not deep down inside) Bucky is obviously still dedicated to getting this member of his friends new team safely to the lab that's counted as Avengers HQ in this arena. His own word might not be good enough to prove he's James Barnes but Steve's should be.

That's what he's worried about? Suddenly his goal seems much more achievable. "Oh! Yeah, no problem," Gary assures with an emphatic nod. Really he has no idea. But there are a lot of doors around, presumably leading to new and unexplored rooms--how hard could it be to find a pair of scissors or something hiding in one of them? "I know just the thing..."

Gary doesn't wait for any protests before trotting to the nearest door, stopping only for it to open and to make sure Thor isn't wandering off.

But what if Sam wants to get used to it, huh, what then? Sam’s smiling a little, a teasing gleam in his eyes even as he’s still working on him, but his response to that is cut off by Signless’s approach.

“Yeah, something like that,” he replies to Steve. He relaxes even more when Signless offers to share his supplies, his posture less defensive, sidestepping just a little so he’s not making quite as obvious of a barrier between Steve and Signless, though he doesn’t let go of Steve’s hand.

“If you got anything we can use in there, I’ll owe you. I’ve been doing the best with what we got-” Which is just about nothing, but fortunately Sam’s great at improvising. “-but I won’t turn down the help.”

This is the part where Gary should put his foot in his mouth, but he doesn't quite understand the implications. Dead here, he thinks. In the Capitol. Death isn't permanent here. He looks a little confused.

"That sucks." Gary bites his lip. "But they'll be waiting when we get back! It's not so bad."

It's an impressive attempt at something, Iskierka will give her that much. Sure, she's not quite sure what it might have originally been meant to be, but it does work, and some small part of her is tolerably impressed. Unfortunately, that small part is not at all what's actively in charge at the moment.

She can't quite deny that there's something in that scream of pain that's... oddly soothing too. Not enough to cool the fires that have been stoked but it seems right somehow. Even if it's not actually her attempts at anything that have prompted the shriek.

Interestingly, Iskierka doesn't immediately give chase. She could, and it would be no trouble at all, given the speed that Darcy's currently moving at, but it doesn't seem right somehow. Why, she doesn't know, but instead of anything else she hisses and then turns to a gesture that is even now a habit - the motions of a proper flame, and she's as surprised as Darcy probably is when the flame actually comes.

The first blast misses Darcy, but it passes close enough that the heat of it is more than noticeable. Whatever else it might be, it's no illusion.

There's an increasing level of exasperation in Thor's person as Gary remains steadfast in his approach. It's as admirable as it is irritating at this point, and that's probably why he hangs around. He levels an unimpressed look on Gary and steps a little closer, walking with an air of impatience even if he's clearly still hanging around.

"Make haste." He warns. "I cannot linger long." He has God things to do, Gary.

At the obvious assumption of the circumstances regarding her apparent dating life, Nill just lets out a quiet sigh, which... might be kind of audible, actually. She's not terribly concerned with how he takes it, if he takes it to mean much of anything at all.

"Right."

Nill has a very anxious feeling in her gut that pretty much screams this entire conversation is going to come back to bite her at some point, even if it's not right away, and leaving out the fact that the person isn't dead here seems like a wise decision.

Terezi laughs easily at the flopping suit, grinning brightly as she turns towards the emerging troll. She keeps a hold of the suit with both hands, even though it hangs on the floor now without the suspension of psionics.

"I know. I was just wondering how long it would take you to come out. Took longer than I thought. I almost resorted to pulling out the big guns." Though what exactly 'the big guns' are, she doesn't say. She holds the suit out to him. "You can have your spacesuit back. It's a wonderful conversational partner. You should really get to know it."

God things will have to wait, Thor, particularly once the door opens and Gary notices a distinct lack of sharp stuff in the room they've entered. That's his bluff, called. He doesn't really have any ideas for how to improvise something scissor-like, not with anything immediately visible...maybe he can buy more time?

Does he need more time?

That's a thought Gary has learned to stop entertaining since he's arrived in the Capitol and they took his powers. But he realizes now, with a pang of excitement, that he can consider that option here--the world moves slowly in this space station, and for the first time in several months, Gary isn't moving slowly with it. He doesn't have to wait.

This is just about the only motivation Gary needs to act. As soon as Thor lines up with him at the door, Gary whips around, makes a grab at Thor's luxuriously long hair and pulls hard with a snap of his wrist, all practically within the blink of an eye.

That sigh isn't a promising reaction, but the agreement is. Gary is conflicted. What's he supposed to believe? Which signal is the correct one? He does a few quick mental backflips, his brows scrunch and, on a split decision, he chooses to believe that everything is fine. Isn't that always how it goes?

And since everything is fine, then obviously it's okay to keep prying. "What're they like?" he asks brightly. People love talking about their significant others, Gary reasons. This should help her smile a little! "What do they do? Artist? Plumber? Professional juggler?"

He picked up the heavy suit with his mind and shunted it near the corner to trip up any intruders. Getting to know it, sure.

"By 'big gunth' you mean more fatal formth of danthing? No thankth. What did you track me down for, anyway?"

To give him a taco? To team up? To cull him at the behest of her clown friend? Well, at least Psii knew that wasn't happening anytime soon. He'd have had a vision if he was about to die. He found this thought a relief. He liked Terezi well enough. She'd introduced him to delicious tacos. Psii didn't like that the arena would encourage all the violent habits of Alternian life to catch up with him.

"I didn't track you down," she informs him, leaning against the wall casually as if she hadn't a care in the world. Psii isn't the only one with a psychic heads-up for danger, and she's making liberal use of her abilities while she can.

"I discovered that it was my fate to run into you, and also that you are going to be nice enough not to psychically punch a hole through me--or any other grievous forms of murder. Given those two facts, I thought I should come say hello. ...And maybe chat with you about something."

She had genuinely hoped that the response would get Gary to stop asking, but it just about does the opposite, because now he probably thinks he can find whoever she means when they get back and he probably wants to meet them.

Nill still does not actually look back at Gary, but she stops walking so that she can lift both hands and press the heel the her palms against her eyelids.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh."

Finally, finally the point sinks in. Gary stops walking and glances over, decidedly worried from the way his brow crinkles and his mouth curls into a confused frown, and for once, he thinks it might be best to wait for Nill to stop trying to rub her eyes out before he presses her again.

"...Are you okay?" he asks, bashfully, scratching his chin like the strain of wondering is causing him physical pain. Amazing that this would do it, and not the broken arm, or the ribs, or the various other blossoming internal injuries he's doing well to ignore. Such is Gary's way.

His shoulders are tense, his eyes cold and dark and intent. Clint watches the way Bucky strips the scraps away from his metal arm, catches sight of the red star, feels his heart lodge in his throat. He's not panicking, but he's on the verge. Fuck, if they have the Winter Soldier here, then--

--then there's no where safe. Then there's always a weapon out here, steady and sure and hunting. Clint draws his next breath, holds still like a cornered animal. But...but the Winter Soldier isn't chasing him down. He asked him to team up to take out that Turret, and he drops Steve's name like its a certainty, like he's a mission. His shoulders don't ease out of their tense lines, but he nods, tightly. The Winter Soldier could take him out easy if he ran, this is his best option.

Hopefully.

"Lead on, then."

It's still strange to have someone react that way to him, with a knowledge of who he is and what he can do. He's largely unaware of his own status as a rumour, a ghost story among those involved in the espionage world or that the Black Widow would have shared the story of their encounter (a fact he only dimly has a sense of) with Barton. So long as Barton cooperates though he see's little reason to be concerned.

Without another word he jerks his head in the direction they should be going, taking Clint through the maze of corridors to the lab where the rest of the Avengers are waiting.

He'll cooperate, alright. Clint really doesn't fancy getting killed, not yet, but it eats at him. The Winter Soldier at his back, and Clint's here without much in terms of weaponry. At least, when compared the sheer strength and speed the Soldier has. He goes carefully and quietly, mapping the route but mostly trying in vain to come up with a plan. Just in case.

Because he doesn't trust this man-turned weapon, and he doesn't trust that he's not being led deeper into the station to meet his death.

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Page 27 of 28

Arena 12 - The Spaceport

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wrap this up here?

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sounds good!

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Feels like a thread end, y?

y!