'Cause you know you left a hollow. [open]

[worldsaway]

Who| Thor and ANYONE willing
What| Thor returns from his three week vacation in prison, he's not happy to see anyone and he's not acting the same.
Where| Around the Arena, avoiding the Cornucopia but prowling the surroundings.
When| First week.
Warnings| Descriptions of brainwashing and torture, aggressive and violent reactions with triggers.

Thor has been gone twenty three days.

It doesn't feel like it, no. It feels like more. He isn't conscious of it, but deep down he feels weak for breaking within a time frame like that. He is weak. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he took too much into it. There was too much at stake, too much he'd give anything to protect and nothing left for himself by the end of it all. He barely remembers what happened, because it terrifies him to do as much. The boom of the canons is too much like the thunder, it's too much like something he ought to be afraid of. Never again. He'll never do it again. He swore, he gave his word.

His eyes are lowered when his podium raises upward and he dare not raise them. He cannot risk the sight of a familiar. They'll use him. They'll end him. It's dangerous, the thought of a smile makes his mouth run dry. He won't allow himself to be fooled again, the pain he remembers suffering seems to be at the hands of people he knows. He cannot equate it to the strangers he faced daily in the depths of prison. He thinks of Sif and either Loki and he thinks of lashings. He thinks of Molotov and Bruce and it's hard to breathe. He thinks of Steve and Tony and he thinks of needles and burning. He thinks of Carlos and his mind sears with white, hot pain. He's barely made it off the platform and his hands are trembling, his chest is tightening and he needs to run.

He has been tasked with winning. Logic indicates that the Cornucopia is of use, but he can't stand the idea of them all there. Congregating like an infestation of ants, unavoidable and united and eager to use him again. No.

Thor escapes through the meadows, thrashing wildly as he makes his way into the forest and into the depths of the trees. He's never been a subtle man, but me moves with more care now. He can't afford to be spotted, but he cannot help it if people have already witnessed his escape. A heavy branch broken off a tree is as good a weapon as he can claim at this point in time. If he isn't approached directly, he'll linger in the depths of the forest and wait for the opportune moment to lunge with a roar. He'll be quick to lay his hands on anyone, anyone is a threat to his safety when he has been tasked with winning. It is people he's familiar with who are treated with particular aggression, but the fear is more than apparent in his eyes.

Comments

[tricksandmischief]

Loki had been at the Cornucopia briefly, rushing away without injury this time and clutching some material that would prove to be a tent. It's the first thing he'd come across and he hadn't wanted to risk more this time.

While there he thought he glimpsed Thor but he knew he should not concentrate on anyone he knew, in case he had to confront them with violence by necessity, so for a short time he put his brother out of his mind.

As he was making his way for the forest, though, his thoughts returned to that glimpse. Had this been the way Thor had gone? He had been concerned since the end of the last Arena and that concern urged him to at least try to see if he could spot Thor again - make sure he was all right. So he slowed his pace and began a vague search. He couldn't be sure this was the right way and others may soon come along.

He took a risk now, not raising his voice too loudly but calling out Thor's name. If he was close by maybe he would hear and come to Loki.

[worldsaway]

Thor's mind feels comfortably numb now that he's backed away from the threatening faces and memories. He doesn't need to think about anything but survival, he doesn't want to think about anything but clawing his way to the top of the food chain as is his right. It will be his redemption for his failures and his rise back into the arms, that's all he deserves. He's been tasked with doing so, which means he'll need to encounter his familiars- no. Enemies. They're nothing to him, nothing but threats in his path and that's all they'll ever be. He needs to take each one of them down, make sure that they don't slip through his fingers and take the victory and his safety from him.

He seizes up the moment he hears his name. The voice is painfully familiar in a way that makes his chest ache, but he mistakes the pain for fear. Loki is a danger to him and no amount of hiding will change that. He's bigger. He can fight him and the pain will stop, the voice will go away if he makes it.

There's no effort to hide his footsteps as he moves out of the thick of the forest to face Loki. His expression is vacant and his eyes bore into Loki, silently demanding to know what he wants before he moves to circle him. The branch is gripped so tight his knuckles are turning white, his breathing becomes louder and less even the longer he stands in his presence.

[tricksandmischief]

Loki's initial feeling of relief at seeing Thor was there is quickly replaced with uncertainty. It is quickly obvious to Loki that there was something wrong with his brother. The look in the fairer man's eyes; the way he is holding his makeshift weapon; the way he now approaches...

Loki takes a step back, one arm clutching the folded tent and the other hand rising as if to ward Thor off.

"Thor... It is I. It is Loki, your brother...."

Thor had helped him in the last Arena. He knew this wasn't normal behaviour, even as a joke. His wariness increases. He is ready to turn and run if he has to.

[worldsaway]

What should ward Thor off only seems to aggravate him more. He seems to twitch at the words, almost cringing. It slows him for a moment, brows furrowing from internal debate before something snaps. It's like the flick of a switch, the change comes quickly. He goes from wary to violent in seconds and he's lashing out.

He lurches forward, the stick coming for Loki's side like he's wielding a baseball bat. His eyes are lowered, so he doesn't chance seeing the other man's face or meeting his eyes. His voice is cruel enough, like needles that make his skin prickle.

[tricksandmischief]

Luckily, Loki is nimble enough to dodge that and he backs up a few steps more.

"We can work together... Remember? Like we have before. Remember the adventures we used to have?" Invoking their youth may not be a wise idea. Maybe he should just leave. He was considering it already.

What had they done to his brother...

[ruffntumblenut]

With her backpack slung over her shoulders Ruffnut moves with all the grace of a stampeding Moose as she scrambles over fallen logs and ducks around low hanging branches.

Her list of potential allies is short, and at the moment she’s not entirely sure she wants to test her luck. Not until she has enough time to settle in somewhere and check her backpack to see what loot she’s scored.

Her windbreaker snags on a branch and she stops to yank it free. The yellow pin on her chest just over the District logo gleams in the low light and the easily distracted viking takes a moment to consider it.

A Hideous Zippleback head, just the one. If Tuffnut were here maybe he’d have a matching pin.

As she starts to slip into a melancholy one of her hands rises up and she slaps herself to snap out of it. The games are barely an hour in and she’s already making herself an easy target? Some viking.

Gritting her teeth and setting her jaw she surges forward once again crashing and snapping her way towards where Thor waits. She hasn’t seen him yet.

[worldsaway]

For all the tumultuous rage he'd been feeling earlier, Thor feels zen in the depths of the forest. He's free for the first time in forever, he could cry for how good the fresh air feels against his skin and how amazing it is to simply breathe. His pleasure is still light with embers of fear, as if he subconsciously feels that it is wrong to be happy, as if he ought to be doing something else.

It's the crashing that truly wakes him from his peace, the sounds are fanning the embers and reminding him of almost hysterical states of panic that he had experienced over and over for weeks. To run would be to counteract the will of the Capitol, to squander his chance at redemption and find himself back in the glaring walls of a white room.

There's no hesitation or recognition when he approaches, and Ruffnut makes it easy. When she hurtles forward, he lunges with his branch and aims a powerful blow to her gut to knock her backward. He wastes no time stalking after her when she falls back, raising his stick so as to bring it down on her again. He says nothing, but his expression is one of terror.

[ruffntumblenut]

WHAM!

Something knocks her off her feet and the wind explodes from her lungs out her mouth and nose so hard she feels like her throat collapsed afterwards. She's flat on her back before she even realizes that she'd fallen.

Stars swim in her vision and in a daze she looks up at Thor who's looming over her with a stick. Ah there he is! Her favorite god. Surely he'll protect her from whatever just hit her. She's one of his biggest fans. Maybe after the arena she can get him to sign the picture of him she bought...

...wait why is he looking at her like that?

The branch comes down clean in the center of her face and she hears her nose crack. Blood gushes from it and she wheezes a cry of pain before scrambling wildly and kicking up a cloud of dirt and pine needles in the process. If she wasn't confused and dazed from the fall the blow to the face was enough to scramble her into running on pure instinct.

Pain. Fear. Anger. Those feelings are all her brain is offering to her right now.

On her hands and knees, she's not even sure how she got upright again. crawling along with warm wetness dripping off her chin she feels rocks in her mouth. Why are there rocks in her mouth? Still struggling to reinstall her lungs she opens her mouth to let the rocks fall out and three of her teeth fall to the dirt coated in blood. She's transfixed by this image leaving her wide open for another crushing blow.

[worldsaway]

From the first thwack from his weapon, Thor's mind is shutting out any thoughts that are detrimental to his cause. There's no familiarity or recognition and no smiles. He doesn't pity her or feel poorly for her and he certainly doesn't feel bad.

All he knows is that the way she hesitates and lingers brings him another step closer to being done with this. He takes the ample opportunity and raises his arms again, bringing the branch down on her back and raising it to hit her over and over and over if he can. It's as if he's trying to swat a fly that's been bothering him for far too long, he's all violence and fixation and he's showing no signs of stopping.

[carnagecarnival]

He could've just stuck with the fish. He knew fish. He was good at spearing fish. But a mix of boredom and the knowledge that Capitol would want something interesting or make it happen, has him going off into the woods, seeing if he can score bigger game.

He'd not expected to see Thor. Even with all his asking and hope, he'd thought, this is it, it's over for him. For all his faith, his hope has always been quick to dry. And too soon, apparently, for he's here, he's alive, he made it back, and if the long hair is any indication, they didn't even Avox him.

A smile spreads wide and he shouts, "THOR!"

[worldsaway]

The faintest sounds of someone approaching through the woods is enough to send Thor into fight or flight mode. He can approach something close to zen when he's alone, when there's nothing to think about and nobody to be scared of but himself.

When someone familiar approaches, when he knows their face and their voice and realises they're speaking to him, he instinctively chooses fight mode. He turns slowly, a dark, dull look in his eyes as he grips the stick harder in his hand. It's as close as he has to a weapon and as close as he can come to feeling safe.

He doesn't reply, of course, his mouth is a thin line as he begins to circle Initiate. It's predatory, coupled with the way his stare stays fixed on the troll. His posture is tense and ready and everything about him threatens a need for battle.

[carnagecarnival]

Thor turns slow and his smile falls at the very same pace. Illness curls up inside, cold and heavy, a beast burrowing deep in his guts. Thor's not an Avox. Thor has not, in no way, been made all into an Avox and this is obviparrent.

They did something to Thor. They twisted all his fears at to another way.

He swallows hard, remembering he's got a tongue. He lifts his spear up and grips it tight, even knowing there ain't a damn way he's going to use it on Thor. He's not even so sure it will be strong enough as to parry. He holds it tight and he matches Thor for each step, but still he lifts one hand up, placating.

"Thor, don't. DON'T BE ABOUT THIS. Let's just talk. YOU AIN'T EVEN GOTTA SPEAK, AIN'T NEITHER OF US GOT AT TO. Anything what ain't fighting, aight? I KNOW WHAT IT'S BEING LIKE. We can work this the fuck out, you and me. JUST ME AND MOTHERFUCKING YOU."

[worldsaway]

At this moment, expression means very little to Thor. He doesn't note the nuances in Initiate's tone well, nor does the concern in his face strike him as a relief. It's bad, really, that he would approach with friendliness. It's a trap, and Thor won't fall for it. His eyes widen when Initiate so much as lifts his spear, something wild and unrecognisable in his expression for the briefest moment.

Every feeling that was bristling under the surface is coming forward as he lashes out. The comfort and the offer make him feel more at risk than they make him feel safe, but for a brief moment his heart desperately wanted to believe it would be enough. He cannot risk the Capitol seeing him in arms with a traitor, he has pledged his loyalty and he could never do so lightly.

"No." He says, and it's a low grunt, barely audible as he breaks his circling and lurches viciously at Initiate with his branch. For a man his size, he moves fast, aiming the branch for whatever exposed part of the Troll he can reach. "Be silent- keep it shut."

[arrogantalloy]

By using the cartoon about a frog as a distraction to get into the capitol's systems he had known Thor was alive and being held captive. It had frustrated him that despite having the ability to find Thor he had no resources to free him, especially considering the last mass attempt the jails seemed to have a lot less leeway in getting access to them. So mostly Tony had been subjecting himself to worry.

So when he saw Thor on the podium that morning, Tony just wanted to get to him to see how he was, to make sure they hadn't done anything weird to him.

The fact that Thor's eyes were down and not looking around was not a comforting sight. His running from the cornucopia is even less so.

With his own glance around to make sure he wasn't going to have to deal with any immediate danger before taking off after Thor, there's a fair amount of distance to cover between the two of them, but it's not exactly something that bothers Tony in the moment, just getting to Thor matters. After all, as far as Tony is aware Thor is a danger to people that wants to harm Tony, but not to Tony himself.

Once Thor makes it into the forest Tony loses sight of him for a moment, not that it means much because he can still clearly hear him, he manages to get a little closer to him and stops to catch his breath. Resting his hands on his knees panting heavily before looking towards Thor in the middle distance and calls out to him.

"Really know how to give a guy a work out, huh?"

When Tony takes a moment to actually look at Thor he can't help but see the wild look in his eyes and the fact he's brandishing a branch, he's suddenly feeling a little unsure.

"Everything okay, big guy?"

[worldsaway]

More than most people, Tony is trouble. Thor doesn't know what sleuthing he did, because the Capitol has no idea, but his mind is back to where it was when they first met. Tony is trouble, a liability, he'll get you into more trouble and he only wants to use you. Thor knows well what a risk he can be when he has his science and his time, so Tony approaching him alone doesn't bode well for him. He's weak, he only has his words, and Thor doesn't intend on listening to him speak much.

The audacity of being spoken to at all seems to needle at Thor. His shoulders tense and he turns slowly, suspicious eyes on Tony when he questions him. He can't parse the idea of sincere concern for him, he can only assume that Tony has some sort of dark intent for him.

He doesn't grace Tony with an answer, but the way he approaches is a sure sign that he's not in a friendly mood. His face shows no recognition, his shoulders are squared and he's gripping the stick like it's the only friend he has right now. Tony might as well be a pinata for how Thor looks at him when he lurches forward, swinging the stick viciously at him.

[arrogantalloy]

Thor's lack of anything resembling a congenial reaction, let alone welcoming recognition of who has approached him only improves Tony's sense of unease about him right now.

He also doesn't like that it's taking him so long to answer the question.

Though he has to admit he likes the fact that Thor striding towards him with a stick in his hand is probably the definitive sign that things are not going to end well here.

When Thor lurches for him while swinging Tony stumbles back with his eyes wide and a yelp, he can feel himself falling backwards and knows that if he hits the ground right now he won't be getting back up. He uses the momentum to pivot on his foot, slipping low enough to need to push himself up enough to start running.

While Tony's never at all been one to try and talk someone down from trying to attack him, normally he tries to fight right on back. He knows that he's at a disadvantage against Thor when he's actually glad to see him, let alone when he's like this. Not only that, but right now, Tony's left so jarred and surprised by what's happening he can't even think of a single word to say, not even a smart-arsed syllable is even attempting to make it to his lips.

The only thing he can think is The Capitol has done something wrong to him, and he will kill you if you stop. So he does just that, he doesn't stop.

He runs as fast as he can.

[worldsaway]

It frustrates Thor when he cannot level Tony with a single swing. Every moment he wastes on an individual person leaves him at a disadvantage and leaves time for someone to step in. He is aware enough to know that the Avengers are a web of people all willing to protect one another. It's only now that he knows he was tangled in place and forced to cooperate with people who only desire destruction and chaos. If he truly wants to be free, he must see to it that he ends all of them. Tony may not be the most physically formidable, but he knows the prowess of his intelligence and charm are integral to that web.

When Tony starts to run, Thor mouths a request for him to stop that he doesn't verbalise through yelling. He could, but it seems fruitless at this point. He chooses instead to chase after Tony, the pause he gave him giving him enough time to gain a slight edge on him with distance covered.

Branches and leaves whip at Thor as he runs after the smaller man, eyes boring into him so that he can't lose track of him as they move.

[molotov]

Molotov has been in the trees.

She has always been partial to heights, since she was a child and spent her hours sailing between the uneven bars like a hummingbird darting from flower to flower. Now she is a falcon, soaring between the branches and swooping down on prey, silent and deadly and wild, hidden in the foliage until it is too late for whatever she is hunting.

This Arena is heaven on earth.

When Thor prowls past her current perch, she is lazing like a big cat in a sunbeam that has broken through the treetop canopy, and she only halfway notices anyone at all. It is only when she spares a second glance that she recognizes him, and she is immediately on alert, moving forward to crawl along the thick branches, following him as he moves, careful.

He was supposed to be dead.

She cannot bring herself to approach just yet, because the lie would not exist for no reason. Is this a fabrication of the Gamemakers, designed to weaken her early in the game? Her final moments of the last Arena, the ones that weren't spent alone before being decapitated, they had been in Thor's arms, and surely that was something terribly exploitable, a chink in the armor she never should have allowed to be seen, because it would only hurt both of them.

Thor moves and Molotov stalks, the leaves rustling just slightly as she moves from tree to tree, as if she were no more than a squirrel.

[worldsaway]

The wilderness is a friend to Thor too, even if he grew up a prince. He knew battle, he knew survival in distant realms with thick forests and tall grass. The peace of it isn't necessarily pleasant, but it serves as a relief to be alone for at least a few hours before he must begin his pursuit with more dedication. It is a risky time now, when people are reuniting and banding together. He'll do better to wait for them to become bold and separate, so he keeps to himself in a wary walk through the forest.

Even the slightest noise is enough to warrant suspicion, he glances around just to be certain that another familiar is approaching in attempt to sell him more lies. It would seem his wariness is unwarranted, but his grip tightens on his stick anyway as he gives pause.

There's something distinctly off about him, his walk is tense and afraid, lacking his usual confidence. His expression is blank and tired and he's quiet. He might as well be a ghost of himself, wandering the forest to spook anyone who might have known him.

[molotov]

She freezes, squinting, watching him. Beyond the fact that he'd supposedly died, there's everything wrong with his face, his walk, the way he holds himself. It's like the Capitol built a Thor robot but then programmed it wrong.

The sun glints down through the treetops as she makes a slight move forward, slow enough to not make more noise than would be ambient anyway. She's not stupid enough to swing down and get close to him -- she's seen the Gamemakers play tricks with people's faces and pasts, and she's not going to fall into that trap.

Still hidden, she calls out. "Thor?"

[worldsaway]

Having begin to move again with the thought that he's alone, the voice surprises him more than he'd like to admit. The familiarity of it makes his ears ring in a painful way and the fact that the source went undetected feels deserving of a lash for incompetence.

He swivels around wildly, expression frantic as he attempts to seek out Molotov's hiding place. Nothing about him reads as friendly despite the fact that he should know her voice.

"Show yourself." He demands, the hint of a threat obvious in his voice, as if that should coax her down.

[onedirectiony]

It had felt like much longer to Loki, too. He had spent his days feeling a little bored and lost without Thor there. Sharing a District with his brother meant that his absence went noticed. He didn't act out, he didn't misbehave, but instead he pondered each and every thing he did. It was easy to get caught up in doing things that he always did - causing trouble and mischief.

He sees Thor there, though, before he heads to the Cornucopia, escaping with a tent. Then he takes off in the direction Thor had headed into. He watches him for awhile, hiding behind trees and keeping himself as quiet as possible. He's not necessarily trying to keep himself hidden forever, but he wants to try and see what is going on.

He knows his brother, and something seems wrong, but he isn't sure what. He's just glad that he's alive.

It takes him a little bit, but once he is comfortable, he steps out from the trees and approaches him. "Thor," he says.

[worldsaway]

In his brief time at the countdown, Thor had not taken account of who happened to be here. The risk of making eye contact was too great and too much considering it was hard enough to adapt to being back at all. It is a relief to be away for it for at least a little while, but he had not accounted for how many people would pursue him.

When Loki finds him, he's leaning against a tree and looking a little winded. The branch in his hand has seen better days, the blood on it making the reason why he's winded more than apparent. He straightens up warily at the mere sound of someone approaching and he levels an uncertain look on Loki when he approaches. For once, he isn't going straight for the attack, but he doesn't look welcoming at all.

"Leave me." He says curtly, and it's the only warning he'll get.

[onedirectiony]

"Ah, big boy's giving orders now," Loki said. Of course, he was just attempting to get under Thor's skin. Now that his brother was there, he needed to know that he still could do it. Loki's own entertainment depended on his ability to frustrate and annoy Thor. Still, something was off. Even if Thor didn't want Loki there, he was rarely this straight-forward about his desire to see him leave.

"You can't just disappear for awhile and expect me to not say - hey, I'm curious where the jerk is."

[worldsaway]

The attempt to get under his skin works, but not in the way it tends to. Where Thor would generally respond with his own snark and posturing, he remains silent. As if he's stewing over Loki's words and sizing him up for them. He moves fast for a big guy, surely Loki hasn't forgotten that much.

He's charging forward fast, flicking his stick upward so he can attempt to press it against Loki's neck and back him into a tree so he can keep pressing. If he fails to pin him, he'll settle for a good old-fashioned swat with a tree branch. Just like old times, really.