A dark brown blur flew over Sagebramble. She could hear a tussle but her ears were beginning to ring and her one eye was fading in and out. Each breath was a struggle.

Biohazard had leaped a the opposing she cat, a smaller brown short hair known as Barbwire. The she cat was smaller but extremely powerful. Once Biohazard had her to the ground she quickly slipped out and kicked her with her hind leg sending her flying. Biohazard began racing back to her weapon, but Biohazard wasn't going to have it.

Barbwire barely had her clutch until Biohazard sprang onto the opposing she cat knocking the machete out of Barbwires paw and began scratching at the she-cats eyes until she felt the moisture of Barbwires eyes leaking out onto her paws. Biohazard sprang off Barbwire leaving her screeching in pain and rushed to Sagebrambles side.

"Sagebramble!" Biohazard cried out sniffing to find the direct wound on the younger she-cat when...

BOOM!

Biohazard choked out a cry pushing her head into the young white she-cats neck. It couldn't be Sagebramble the canon had to be for another cat. However when she pressed her nose closer there was no pulse and no breath. Behind her she heard the clatter of metal.

"AH!" An angry shout came from behind Biohazard.

Immediately Biohazard leaped up into the air and took off her heart yanking in her chest to turn around and mourn for the young she-cat, but the sound of paws thundering behind her told her to keep running.

Biohazard glanced back to see Barbwire stumbling almost hitting a tree. She quickened her pace ignoring the pain in her legs. She had to get away.

"Barbwire!" Ripplenewt raced towards the blinded she-cat.

She swung her machete until she squinted and fell to the ground. Her left eye was sliced and squeezed shut bleeding.

"I have to kill that she-cat! I have to!" Barbwire yowled but half in pain.

Ripplenewt had separated from Barbwire after picking up Silverstorms scent, telling Barbwire he wanted to handle her on his own. However her trail went cold and when he had returned he found the body of Sagebramble and Barbwire stumbling through the forest.

"You won't be able to kill anyone like this," he meowed now scared of the way Barbwire appeared to him but tried not to show it.

When the she-cat didn't respond Ripplenewt wrapped his tail around Barbwire's shoulder. When the she-cat didn't resist he meowed, "Come on there's a stream to clean you up at a little ways this way."

The two cats walked towards the stream through the lush green forest in silence the only sound was of Barbwire's seething mouth.

Silverstorm jumped at the sound of a second canon and she shrunk into the undergrowth again. There were so many cat scents Silverstorm couldn't point out a single one. She felt so defenseless and now the Terrors were probably searching for her. They could track her instantly, she would have to find somewhere to hide where they couldn't find her.

The young she-cat looked around to find herself surrounded by tall trees with lush green leaves. They seemed to stretch into the sky and beyond. Silverstorm felt her stomach sink at the thought of climbing the tree. Only district seven cats knew how to climb trees and even then most didn't get the hang of it.

"GRRRRR..." A sound came from a nearby bush.

Silverstorm immediately leaped up onto the hard oak her claws digging in as far as they could extend into the rough wood to keep herself up. Silverstorm looked down to see she wasn't even a cat length away from the ground. She then trained her eyes upward to find she was about five cat lengths away from the nearest branch.

With a deep heavy breath Silverstorm pulled her left forepaw out of the tree's trunk and reached it higher before digging her claws into the tree once more. She pulled herself up repeated her technique until she was almost one cat length away from the branch. Silverstorm breathed in and closed her eyes.

Please Starclan guide me.

Silverstorm opened her bright yellow eyes setting her sight on the deep brown oak branch and pulled herself up grabbing a hold of it with her right forepaw when...

Silverstorms hindpaw gave out from under her and she was holding onto the branch with just her right paw. All her weight yanked her so hard she could feel her whole foreleg pop. Silverstorm gritted her teeth as she hung from the tree like dead weight. Silverstorm felt a burning sensation to cry out for help, a total hopelessness.

Suddenly from above a pair of claws dug into her right paw and yanked up. Silverstorm looked up to see a muscular black she-cat. Shadowfur. The district seven she-cat pulled Silverstorm forcefully up the tree and set her down on the branch with almost no delicacy. 

"You don't belong in trees for a reason," the she-cat spat.

However, Silverstorm noticed a sympathy in her tone. The she-cat was so astonishing to look at up close her black fur just glimmered off the sun like metal on a sword.

"Th- Thank you," Silverstorm stammered.

"Don't thank me too quick," the she-cat called as she began jumping higher into the tree.

"Where are you going!?" Silverstorm found herself crying out.

"I don't do allies. Not anymore. Good luck young Silverstorm." There was a sense of lose in the she-cats far away voice.

Silverstorm lost sight of the black she-cat into the canopies of the trees and the sound of rustling branches faded. Silverstorm looked down to the ground and almost got sick from the height. She quickly hugged the branch she was on rubbing her cheek into it. She couldn't help but thanking Starclan for sending Shadowfur to her rescue.

"Where are they!?" Hailscar spat out at Mousesnarl.

He was pacing back and forth in front of the Cornicopia staring out into the woods then the sky. It was past sunhigh and Barbwire and Ripplenewt were still gone. They couldn't of been the two canons that went off, definitely not Barbwire.

"I don't know maybe they're not paying attention?" Mousesnarl suggested.

"Then go find them! And get prey! Don't come back until you have both or you'll be answering to the Dark Forest!" Hailscar bellowed into the she-cats face.

Mousesnarl had looked like she was about to oppose but Hailscar pushed his forehead to hers pushing her down to all fours angrily panting. Mousesnarl had shrunk back and pulled away. She grabbed her spear and raced into the woods casting a glare back at Hailscar. Hailscar ignored it and turned away towards the fountain of water and began to lap keeping his eyes trained on Owleye, wondering where the other two Dreaders had disappeared to.

Wonderingwind padded to sit down next to Stormthistle, the she-cat had been clinging onto her bag since sun high sniffling. He pulled out a can of food from his bag, popping it open with his claw and setting it in front of her. The strong harsh scent of tuna filled the air, but Stormthistle didn't react. Wonderingwind tried to tell himself not to be regretful but the she-cats red puffy face made him ashamed.

"Why...why are you crying?"Wonderingwind asked the she-cat.

He couldn't believe any answer would be reasonable for killing another cat, but he was open to listening to her.

Stormthistle rubbed her paw over her tear stained face. What would it matter telling this tom why she had a meltdown? He wasn't going to see eye to eye with her.

"It doesn't matter,"Stormthistle grumbled and rose to her paws.

She suddenly felt a surge of anger run through her legs as she got up and turned on Wonderingwind with a snarl.

"But don't you dare ever take this bag from me again! EVER!" Stormthistle screamed in the toms face. "You can do your whole kumbaya thing with someone else, I'm trying to make it home alive."

Stormthistle turned away ignoring the fear scent coming from the tom. Part of her felt bad but the other part told her it was the only way she was going to make it through the games. She lifted her bag over her shoulder and vanished into the woods.

Berrytuft made his way through the desert with Snowfrost at his side. The Cornicopia was only fox lengths away when Berrytuft realized Badgerstrike and Silverstorm were gone. His heart dropped. Had they been the two canons? Berrytuft picked up his pace racing towards Owleye who was snoozing under the shade of the cornicopia.

"Owleye!" Berrytuft kicked the sleeping tom hard in the shoulder.

"Huh-wuh?" Owleye jumped up as if a bee had stung him.

"Where are Silverstorm and Badgerstrike?" Snowfrost snapped from beside Berrytuft.

Berrytuft could sense her fear scent as well as his own. He cast a glance over to where the Terrors camped to find Hailscar coming around the corner his muzzle wet with water. Berrytuft nudged Snowfrost's paw to warn her to hide it as best she could.

"They uh Silverstorm headed into the woods, Badgerstrike followed her." Owleye rambled.

"And he couldn't of waited until we returned?" Berrytuft half asked himself.

"I guess not. Think the toms got a thing for that she-cat," Owleye suggested.

However Berrytuft wasn't listening. They had two more sunrises to find a new camp he couldn't risk searching for the two, yet Silverstorm had medicine cat experience. Berrytuft  dug his claws into the sand, trying not to pace in front of Hailscar.

"Alright. The plan remains the same. They'll just have to find their own way back," Berrytuft meowed nodding to Owleye.

Owleye rose to his paws as Berrytuft turned and headed back into the woods. He had choice words for the tom if those canons had been Badgerstrike and especially Silverstorm. Halfway through the forest Berrytuft paused and looked to Owleye.

"Maybe we should split up and cover more ground. Thats proabably why me and Snowfrost couldn't find anything," Berrytuft proposed to the tom.

"You wouldn't want to go together? More defense?" Owleye questioned.

"Oh you'll be fine Owleye." Berrytuft meowed marking his territory on a holly bush.

"Meet back here by half sun down,"  Berrytuft ordered.

Berrytuft then turned away from the fluffy brown tom and began his search for a new territory.

Lilytoad enjoyed a can of tuna beside the lake as water washed up on the shore. She was leaning back into Starlingmask lap as they told stories of their home towns. Lilytoad didn't know how but she felt completely comfortable around the tom for some reason. His tuxedo pelt and hazel eyes were handsome and full of kindness that Lilytoad never thought she'd be offered.

The tom didn't even ask the she-cat of anything but to remain near the pond with her , he even offered to go hunting for them both even though he was the one who had the bag full of food. Lilytoad believed Starclan had sent her him to help make it through the games. The thought of one of them dying never once crossed her mind.

Badgerstrike found Silverstorm scent mixed with Ripplenewt. He felt his heart began to rush as he searched for any sign of blood, but there was nothing. Badgerstrike hissed under his breath. The only medicine cat there was gone in the second day and it was his responsiblity to look after her. Then the sicker feeling ran through him imagining that he could even think of looking for a body.

With haste Badgerstrike followed Owleye's scent deeper into the forest, hoping the Terrors were just holding her hostage.

Barbwire grit her teeth as Ripplenewt rinsed water from the stream over her eye and patted it with moss. She jerked away feeling her mind reel. She wanted to scream, to cry, to kill.

"Barbwire," Ripplenewt meowed delicately.

Barbwire felt herself come down to earth and she looked over to Ripplenewt his brown eyes were wide and concerned. Suddenly without hesitation she fell into his arms covering her one good eye feeling tears escape. She knew she couldn't hold her emotions back any longer.

"Goosepaw was my brother he died! After he died my father was promoted mayor for district four but he could only bring me he couldn't bring my sister Ravenice they just left her in an orphanage. AN ORPHANAGE! She's not an orphan she has a family! But dad did nothing about it! So I volunteered. If I win I can bring Ravenice to district four until I have to go into the next games. If I die...my dad will leave her there to rot and forget she ever exist. He's already found a new mate! He doesn't care for Ravenice at all! He hardly cares for me he thinks I'm mentally unstable! He's glad I'm in the games. She could have a much better life in district four than district twelve. If I had caught that she-cat I'd be one more cat to bringing my sister to a better life." Barbwire gushed out, out of control.

She felt Ripplenewts paw suddenly stroke her hair and for once she didn't feel like she had to be a bloodthirsty killer. Barbwire felt herself melt into Ripplenewt's warm ginger fur as the sun began to fall back down to the earth and birds still chirped high in the trees. It was a feeling that had almost grown foreign to Barbwire. Love. Like when she was a kit curling up in her fathers lap as he read a story to her, when he actually loved her The moons in where she had been bullied and picked on had beaten down any chance of this feeling.

"Barbwire I promise you'll get home and bring your sister to district four. I know you can." Ripplenewt meowed.

Out of no where Ripplenewts lips connected with hers and Barbwire twined her forelegs around his head. Butterflies danced in Barbwires stomach. She hoped she'd never leave this moment ever. 

Biohazard made her way back to the spot where Sagebramble had passed. After the chase from Barbwire she had hit in the crevice of a tree. After awhile of no sound Biohazard had come out of hiding. She gathered some daisys and began to make her way back to Sagebramble, making sure to avoid any fresh scents

Once Biohazard rounded a tree a gut wrenching pull yanked her heart down into her stomach. Before her laid a crystal white she-cat, her face obviously had been twisted in pain when she passed. Sagebramble's small body had been curled in a fetal position clutching her stomach.

Biohazard found herself collapse, crawling like a newborn kit to Sagebramble. She hadn't really known the young she-cat as much, but she knew if she hadn't left to get moss Sagebramble wouldn't be dead now. Biohazard lowered her head burying it into Sagebrambles breathing in the younger she-cats cold scent. Just this sunrise Sagebramble had been curled up in the same position warm and asleep peacefully.

Biohazard clutched onto Sagebrambles white fur in a tight hug as she cried out not caring who heard. Regret filled the old she-cats heart as she bellowed out screams of sorrow. Many heartbeats later Biohazard quieted down her screams were coming out as low pitched and hoarse squeals. Biohazards yellow eyes had been dried like pond drying under the desert sun. Her face was plastered red with dried sticky tears.

"I'm sorry," Biohazard murmured.

Slowly she rose and rolled Sagebramble onto her back cupping the daisy flowers in Sagebrambles paws and brushed the forest debris from her hair. The sun was setting through the trees and suddenly lit upon Sagebrambles face make her shine like a Starclan warrior.

Biohazard looked down at Sagebramble. The young she-cat looked as if she were only sleeping again, but Biohazard wasn't fooled. She would never be fooled again.