"I don't get why there's snow. The temperature of the arena is humid or hot, but I don't understand how there could be something so cold, the hot weather would have melted it all!" Shadow said as they walked along the wintry area. She stooped down and picked up a handful of snow. "How is this possible? I'm getting really confused."

"It's the Capitol. They have expert scientists that can come up with loads of science-y stuff," Kat replied. "You shouldn't waste your brain cells on such a trivial topic," she joked.

The two mutants have become quite good friends in their time together at the Capitol and in the Arena. You could say they were close friends now.

Shadow shook her head in amusement. "Let's just keep walking."

The coldness had muffled their sense of smell, but they were alert. They would whip around in alarm at every sign of movement or sound. But they didn't think that anyone else would want to look for them in this environment.

They wandered around the seemingly never ending snowy forest, weaving through trees and bushes covered in snow. As they walked, the snake mutant sighed.

"It kind of reminds me of Christmas. Back at District 2, there were so many snow-covered trees in a nearby forest. It was really pretty. Christmas was a good time of the year, although it was cold."

"I would actually enjoy it here if we weren't here to die," Kat grumbled.

"Hopefully we could make it to the top five," Shadow murmured.

"To be honest, I think you could win this year's Hunger Games," the black cat said. She twirled her metal rod, which she had named "The Shard". "You have potential," she added.

"Why me?" the snake replied. "I'm just as vulnerable as the others."

"I don't know. You have venom, and you're skilled at wielding a dagger," Kat answered. "I wonder what'll happen if we make it to the end."

"Then I'm letting you kill me. I'm not letting you die," Shadow replied instantly.

"But I don't want you to die either," the cat mutant responded. "What'll we do then?"

"Then we'll make the Capitol deal with it."

******

"Then we'll make the Capitol deal with it." Destiny heard the snake mutant reply. She turned to her partner. "You got the poison dart ready, Donnie?"

Destiny and Donatello had followed Shadow and Kat into the snowy forest and were spying on the two mutants.

"Yep!" the turtle replied.

"Good. Remember, we've only got one shot at those guys. If we miss, then we've wasted this," Destiny reminded him. "I'll tell you when to shoot it."

Donatello nodded. He held the weapon close to his chest. They snuck after their targets, hiding from bush to tree to bush. They watches as the two mutants stopped, conversing a little.

"I hear something," Kat said to Shadow. "We're not alone."

Destiny and Donnie widened their eyes at each other. Had they been discovered so quickly?

They watched as Kat and Shadow looked up to the treetops. Donnie let out a sigh of relief. So they haven't been caught...yet.

"Alright. Get ready, Don. 3...2..."

But her countdown was cut off when a figure launched herself down from the treetops, hurtling towards Kat and Shadow. It seemed to be Alexandria, the raccoon mutant. She held an axe above her head, about to swing it at them.

"Wait. Don't fire it yet," Destiny said, holding up a hand to stop the turtle.

They watched as the two friends dodged away from Alexandria. Kat stuck her foot out to trip her, and the raccoon mutant stumbled, but regained her balance. She swung her axe at Shadow, but the snake retaliated by clashing her dagger against it.

It clattered to the ground, but Alexandria didn't back down. She landed a hard kick to Shadow's stomach, then thrust her fist up, knocking one of her fangs out. Blood started forming in Shadow's mouth, the metallic smell of the salty liquid blocking her senses. The blood splattered against the white snow, staining it red. The long, bloody fang landed a few meters away from Kat, who repeatedly whacked Alexandria with her rod.

The raccoon mutant whipped around and kicked the cat mutant, sending her to the ground. The intense battle between the snake and the raccoon mutant went on, Donatello and Destiny watching with their eyes wide.

Finally, Alexandria leapt back up into the trees, surrendering and disappearing from view. Shadow and Kat had cuts and bruises all over their bodies from the fight.

"Hey, are you alright?" Shadow asked, helping her friend back up.

"Yeah. Let's keep moving. You?"

"Donnie!" Destiny whispered. "This is our chance. Get it ready. Okay. 3...2...1..." she paused, "Now!"

At the signal, Donatello launched the poison dart forwards. It sailed though the air at Kat, the tip of the deadly weapon glinting dangerously. 

Shadow paused, stopping in her tracks. She saw something. She saw something coming towards them. Not knowing what to do, she quickly shoved herself behind Kat, shielding her from whatever that was hurtling towards them.

"Yeah. I'm--" Shadow's sentence was cut off when the dart pierced her flesh, the spot on her lower back bursting with pain. She gasped and fell to the ground, her forearm propping up her upper body. Her head was dipped all the way down so that she was facing the ground, revealing the poison dart that penetrated her back. "--okay..." she croaked out.

"Shadow!" Kat screeched, rushing over to her. Her scream seemed to echo through the arena. She whipped around, catching a glimpse of Destiny and Donatello ducking behind a bush. She gritted her teeth.

"They did this, didn't they?" she growled.

Kat tried to help her friend up, but Shadow was as limp as a rag doll. The snake had to hold on to Kat for support. Noticing that she couldn't stand up straight anymore, the cat mutant pulled the poison dart out. Shadow flinched in pain, but there was nothing Kat could do to help her. The poison had entered her system already. She sat down onto the cold, wet ground and lay Shadow in front of her.

Shadow smiled sadly, untying her turquoise bandana cloth. She shakily held it up to Kat's neck and attempted to tie it on, but the cloth fell right out of her weak hands and onto the ground. The snow beneath where Shadow lay started to slowly turn red as the blood pooled out from the wound.

Knowing what Shadow wanted her to do, Kat picked up the cloth and tied it around her own neck. She returned the smile, tears forming in her eyes. She blinked them away, trying to act strong.

"I'm glad you're the one staying next to me when I die," Shadow croaked out, her voice hoarse. Kat nodded in agreement, unable to say anything. She spotted her fang lying a few inches away from where she sat. She reached over and grasped it. She pressed the flat side gently to Shadow's heart, and the snake put her hand over hers.

"Win these Games for me, okay?"

Kat nodded, her eyes full of grief. Shadow squeezed her hand.

"Even if you don't...I'll see you in Heaven."

At those last words, her bright turquoise eyes dulled. Her hand, which held a tight grip on Kat's, went limp. The cannon boomed, signalling Shadow's death. The horrible sound echoed through out her brain, seeming to repeat itself endlessly. The cat mutant closed her friend's eyelids gently. She wiped her eyes harshly, unable to contain her tears in any longer.

Kat let the tears pour down her face, and it was as if there was an endless waterfall falling from her eyes. She cried softly, clutching Shadow's lifeless hand. Why couldn't she had noticed that dart coming earlier? If she did, Shadow would have still been alive! She thought bitterly.

Kat got up, grabbing her Shard which was a few feet beside her. She turned her back on her friend's dead body, and sighed. She picked up her things, ready to go after those mutants who had killed Shadow.

But when she looked back, she could hardly take her eyes off her. Kat walked back to Shadow, picking up the fang and gripping it tightly. She looked around the red stained battlefield, pursing her lips.

Suddenly, the black cat heard a faint beeping noise. What if it was a bomb?

Honestly, she didn't even care. If there was a bomb ready to blow her up, why not blow her up now? She didn't care anymore.

But it wasn't a bomb. Something hung on a silver parachute drifted down from the sky, landing in Kat's hands. A dagger. Since when did the Capitol allow weapons to be gifts from sponsers?

She noticed a note that was stuck to the blade of the weapon. She plucked it out, holding it out for herself to read.

Avenge my sister.
-S