-Valentyna Taras, District One-

I glance at Troy, giving him an expression of loathing when he turns away from me to look outside the cage. I can't believe that the idiot is still alive, even after I killed him. The worst thing about knowing this is that I can't even kill him now. The Capitol got me killed because I tried to kill Mia in a safe zone. I dread to think about what they would do if I attempted to attack Troy now. Maybe i'd become an ant, instead of a Mutt. Although, I have to admit that this might be preferable, as the hollow feeling inside of me where my heart used to be aches relentlessly.

Standing up, I stare at the bars of the cage, wondering if they will shock me again, like the bars of the last cage did. I decide to try and slip through them, as I can't see any sign of there being any electricity running through them.

As soon as I touch the bars, I yank my hand back with a speed that I didn't know that I had. The metal is searingly hot; my hand still burns from the heat. To my surprise, the pain subsides quite quickly. Maybe this mutated form does have advantages to it, after all.

Even though it doesn't hurt anymore, I still wince when I see the pluckered up, deep red burn on my hand.

Maybe i'll have to wait, after all.

The idea of waiting angers me, but there is nothing that I can do about it. I just can't wait to get out of this cage. I'll finally be able to finish off Mia and Damon, and if I get the chance, Hunter as well. I smile as I think this. They'll have a huge surprise coming to them.

Looking at Troy, I realise that he has fallen asleep. How, I don't know, but this gives me the perfect excuse to wake him up, and not so pleasantly, at that. Quietly walking over to him, I position myself beside his arm and prod him on his back, making sure that I am not too gentle about it.

His eyes fly open and he sits up, fast, an angry expression coming onto his face when he realises that I am grinning my head off. "You... you..." he stutters, eyes flashing as he gets up and glares at me. I throw him an innocent smile back again. I am not to be messed with.

Appariently he doesn't know this, as he hisses at me. I get ready to 'protect' myself, but as we move closer, a horn sounds over the whole Arena, making us drop our hands from the fighting position that we had them in.

The horn signifies that the finale is starting.

The cage door lowers itself down slowly, and I watch in anticipation until it has completely opened. In a flash, I am out of the cage and running toward the centre of the Arena, intent on only one thing.

That I must kill, and I must target the specific ones who caused my death.

The first thing that I notice when I am running, is that my speed has increased, and that I am not running out of breath. In fact, I realise that I am not breathing at all, because I am all but dead in all but one aspect- my mutated form.

The other change takes a while to become apparient, but when it does, I am not surprised by it.

The closer that I get to the centre of the Arena, the stronger it gets.

A thirst for blood, and a thirst to kill.

I come across a tribute, not far from the Cornacopia. The tribute looks young- she must have been one of the younger volunteers; she probably volunteered for a family member.

When she sees me, a terrified expression comes over her face. I'd guess that I don't look like a normal tribute with the metal covering various parts of my body.

She begins to run, and I take my time in going after her, enjoying the chase. I have to hold myself back, but it is worth it to hear her hoarse, raggedy breaths, and to listen to her pleading to thin air.

As soon as the Cornacopia comes into sight, I decide to end this. I begin to sprint forward, towards her, my bloodlust urging me on. As she glances back over her shoulder, her expression now becomes the look of someone who is petrified, as she tries to make her legs move faster. Not looking where she is going, she trips over a large stone that was directly in her path, and is sent sprawling.

I grin at her, drawing closer. I can smell the blood on her already- it calls to me, as if in a song. She quivers, looking away from me, her eyes squeezed tight. But she will look at me in the end; they all do. It is human nature, after all.

Suddenly, a large shape leaps out of the bushes and lands on the tribute in front of me. She cries out, once, then lets out a small sigh as her last breath is expelled from her lungs.

A cannon booms, and the tribute's face appears in the sky.

Willa Glasnos, District Four.

I turn on the other mutated tribute, furious. It is that district six girl; the one that I killed barely any time ago, although it seems like it had been forever. The one that I questioned about her fears.

I grin, spotting a fairly large spider on the floor beneath her. "Guess what?" I say, as if I am having a casual conversation.

She snarls at me, fairly rudely. "What?"

I smile at her. "Nothing, only that there is a spider on the floor beneath you."

She looks down, screams, and promptly runs off. I raise an eyebrow. The coward. Well, at least I got my revenge before she went off.

I glance around and my eyes immediately fix on the Cornacopia. I don't doubt that Hunter, Damon and Mia will be there. Fuelled by my desire for revenge, I head over to the area around it.

There is a small, crumbled wall near the Cornacopia, so I hide behind it to watch for the three remaining tributes, when they come. It is quite a decent hiding spot, but I am careful not to lean against the wall too much, lest it collapse and cause the bricks in it to fall on me.

While waiting, I begin to get quite bored. I can hear yells in the distance, but I know that the three remaining tributes won't be killed until they get to the Cornacopia.

The finale has always been at the Cornacopia, for as long as I can remember.

As I peep out again, I see something unusual heading my way, emitting a soft beeping noise. It is a parachute; the sort that sponsors use to give gifts to their sponsored tributes. Frowning, I wonder why i'm recieving one if i'm already dead.

It lands by me with a thunking sound, and I snatch it up and tear it opem, curious to find out what is inside.

However, what I am not expecting is for there to be nothing inside but a little slip of paper that flutters out when I open the container.

Even more curious now, I begin to read it.

"Valentyna.

"After the victor has been announced, the Capitol Gamemakers are going to collect in all of the new mutated tributes, including you, and kill them.

"I do not want you to be killed, so I have come up with a solution.

"While the victor is being announced, run as fast as you can to the edge of the Arena. I will be there, and you will be able to sense me, as I will have nightlock on me, to stop you from attacking me.

"We will be able to escape, with both of us pretty much alive.

"Please. It will kill mom if you don't.

"KT."Karl Taras. My brother.

Since when has he started caring about me? Last time I saw him, he was mad at me for volunteering in his place.

I let out a small growl. Mom has never paid much attention to me; compared to him, at least.

Karl wants something, and the only way to find out what is to meet him at the edge of the Arena.

But first, I must kill some of the remaining tributes.

Finally, I hear pounding feet approach the Cornacopia, and a grunting noise as whichever tributes are there try to lift themselves onto it. I look round the corner to see Hunter and Damon helping each other up.

My mouth twists into an evil smile. Perfect, now I have them where I want them. Walking out of my hiding place, I stand before the Cornacopia, expecting them to be scared.

Instead, they just stare at me in confusion.

I grind my teeth. Of course they're confused; I still look like that stupid District Eight girl, Mia. But although this is annoying, this may work to my advange.

I climb onto the Cornacopia, and fix my gaze of one of them. Damon backs away slowly, but he isn't my target.

I leap at Hunter, ripping at her throat. She does struggle as I pin her down, but she is no match for me. She gargles, coughs once, then goes still as her eyes glaze over.

Another cannon booms, and Hunter's face appears in the sky, along with 'District One.'

There is now only two tributes left.

I smile at Damon, blood covering my hands. He looks at me with a sick kind of horror, but does not move to go to Hunter's body. I guess that he was using her, after all.

A crack sounds from behind me, and I roll out of the way just as an angry Mia tries to stab me with a knife. Instead of getting me, she gets Damon, and cuts a long slash across his forehead.

His eyes travel over her face, and he mutters, "Valentyna."

I try to intervene, to say that Mia isn't me, that my body was snatched, but there is an invisible wall holding me back from them. The Capitol seem to want a fight between Damon and Mia, and I am not allowed to partake in it.

Mia is the first to tackle Damon, and they fall, punching, kicking, and even biting each other. Neither of them wants to back down.

The fight lasts for a long while, but eventually one of the pair goes limp, a knife stuck in their heart. The cannon booms, and the dead tribute's face flashes up in the sky. The victor rises up, a slightly shocked, yet triumphant expression on their face.

"Congratulations, Damon Brooks. You are the victor of the 125th annual Hunger Games. Please wait for a hovercraft to escort you back to the Capitol."

A hovercraft appears overhead, and Damon boards it, still with a stunned expression etched onto his face. The hovercraft departs, taking him with it.

It is only then that I remember Karl's warning. I turn, and begin to sprint to the edge of the Arena. I must escape, so that I can get rid of Damon once and for all.