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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act one. 

(chapter twelve, the murders of juniper and justice hale)

the arena, 72 ADD.

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A CANNON BOOMED AROUND the arena. Its explosion was so loud that it caused Cedar, Justice, and Ash to wake up from their slumber, Juniper standing up carefully as she raised a brow, looking up at the sky. It was still dark, but had to be very early in the morning since some of the stars were fading away. 

"Who do you reckon that was?" Ash asked. He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes.

"I say boy from Three," Juniper muttered as she sat down. She was exhausted considering she had been on watch for the last two hours. It would've been Cedar's turn next. "Dallas might have injured him, left him to rot. The kid must have died from them now. Explains his screams."

"Lord..." Cedar grumbled. She had taken her hair down and her brown, mud-stained locks were cascading down her back, framing her freckled face. "Poor kid..."

"I'm just assuming, though," Juniper added. 

"So that's eleven tributes, including us," Justice perked up. His hair was a mess considering he had tossed and turned all night after his watch. "Seven not... what you gotta say about that, Clairvoyant?"

"I'm saying it's about to become real messy soon," Ash muttered as he slouched down. "It's day four and there's eleven tributes. They'll do a Feast, induce another bloodbath, as I said before."

With the other three feeling down about that fact, Juniper was practically bouncing. It had been four days. Four days too long for Juniper and her confidence on dying was slipping. She had been so sure, but now, as the others pulled out food and their bottles, Juniper staring at them, she wasn't. Because she had built an alliance with them. And Juniper Hale didn't want to die, but she had to. She just had to and so did Justice. She just hoped that Wing and Hermes would be at the Feast that was surely going to be announced soon. 

And, oh, did Juniper hope because suddenly, another cannon echoed around, causing everyone to jump as they stopped eating and drinking. They all stared at the sky, waiting as if another were to go off. 

"Okay, who was that?" Cedar asked quietly as if the murderer of the tribute could jump out any minute. 

"That has to be Wing or Hermes." Ash shook his head. "It can't be a Career... unless Dallas got to one of them... or unless they got to Dallas..."

Juniper begged for it to not be Wing or Hermes. She begged for it to be Dallas or a Career because if Wing or Hermes were to die, her way of exiting the arena was gone. And she would have to resort to something she did not want to do. 

But why didn't she do it in the first place? Why didn't she just step off of the pedestal the first chance she got? Why didn't she just drown herself in the moat? Why didn't she just stab herself in the heart? It was all because of Justice. He would never agree to such terms and it had to be done by Wing and Hermes. But Juniper hadn't seen them since the hovercraft on the roof. She feared she would never see them. 

As Justice went to say something, something which must have been on the terms of 'we should start going', trumpets echoed around the arena. Everyone jumped as they expected for it to be a cannon or even night, but they all grumbled and sighed when they realised what it was. Ash must really have been a Clairvoyant. 

"Congratulations to the last ten remaining tributes!" Claudius Templesmith's voice echoed around, causing Juniper to shiver. She was in the top ten. She and Justice were in the top ten even though they were supposed to be the first ones to die. "And considering this is such a prestigious title, top ten, we have decided to spoil you."

"In other words, please kill each other faster," Justice mumbled. 

"How can they do the Feast already, though?" Cedar asked. "It's only day four."

"I suppose Seneca Crane wants Snow to be impressed that he got the shortest Games ever." Ash rolled his eyes. "And there are ten tributes left now."

"Now, some of you might be questioning my invitation, but be aware, this a once-in-a-lifetime offer—"

"Quite literally." Cedar snorted. 

"We, at the Capitol, have cooked the most splendid meal one can imagine. Roasted chicken that pulls off the bone with one rip. Potatoes that will make your mouth water. Cranberries that will squirt juices with one gentle bite..." Claudius went on, everyone's stomachs rumbling. Whilst they loved the beef strips, they longed for a full meal. "And it is all yours. It will be presented to you in a backpack marked with your district number. Come to the Cornucopia this afternoon and indulge yourselves in this delightful meal. I do hope you enjoy it and remember... may the odds be ever in your favour."

The announcement ceased and Claudius's voice disappeared, the sounds of the swamp resuming. All of them looked at each other and the pain was quite clear on their faces. They had to go to the Feast. Juniper because, quite simply, she wanted to die and the others were longing for a roast meal. 

"Shit, why are Capitol people so convincing?" Ash groaned as he slammed his head into the bark of a tree. "We have to go."

"Yeah," Cedar agreed. Juniper felt herself buzzing. "We can't survive on dried beef and crackers."

"But it'll be another bloodbath," Justice said, but when he saw Juniper's quick glance, he added, "The Careers' will be there. And so will Dallas."

"We can get there early, hide in the Cornucopia," Ash explained. "Once the table rises, snatch the bags, and run away."

"Yeah, but that happens every Games," Cedar told him. "Everyone will be waiting in the trees or the moat. The first person who runs out always dies."

"Then we'll wait for someone else to—"

"It won't work."

"If we—"

"It won't work—"

"For heaven's sake, Cedar!" Ash yelled as he stood up, shocking everyone as anger radiated off of him in waves. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to go make up a white flag and wave it around? Do you want me to go out there and say, 'Oh, please don't kill us. We just want to eat.' Do you want me to go begging for our lives?"

Cedar stared up at Ash with wide eyes, jaw dropping slightly whilst Juniper and Justice quickly glanced at each other. Ash noticed the shock within them and groaned, running a hand through his hair. 

"I'm sorry... shit, I'm sorry, Cedar." Ash sighed as he slumped back down against the tree, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry..."

Cedar didn't say anything, but moved to sit next to him, sighing as she did. And as she gingerly took Ash's hand into hers, Juniper furrowed her brows. Time was ticking on and even though they were all denying it, the inevitable were to happen soon. Even at the Feast, maybe. Cedar, Ash, Juniper, and Justice couldn't all win. Only one could and the Hale girl knew that she wouldn't live without Justice and she figured, considering their immense bond, Cedar and Ash couldn't survive without the other. And so, it was inevitable that Cedar and Ash from District Seven were going to die alongside Juniper and Justice from Ten. 

"We Barn of Death 'em."

Everyone looked at Juniper, Cedar and Ash with confused looks whilst Justice furrowed his brows before widening his eyes as he said, "Barn of Death..."

"I'm sorry — what?" Ash asked, still clinging onto Cedar. "Isn't that your killing place for cows in Ten? What do you mean 'Barn of Death 'em'?"

"It's her intricate way of saying she agrees with you." Justice rolled his eyes. "She's saying we just grab the bags and run."

"Exactly..." Juniper nodded. "It's what me and Just did, the day before the Reaping. We ransacked the Barn of Death, took half of its loot and ran. That's what we do for the Feast."

"... so, we do my plan?" Ash asked. 

"We do your plan." Juniper agrees. 

With only a few hours before the actual Feast, Juniper took that time to ready herself. She had been trying to ready herself since the Reaping and whilst she had finally gathered up the courage to actually die in the catacombs with Yara, now, she wasn't so sure. But no, she had to. She needed to. And so did Justice. And even Cedar and Ash. This was inevitable. This was to happen from the very start because District Ten tributes always died together. Forever and always. 

Before going to the Cornucopia, Juniper knew what was going to happen and so, she drank most of her water and ate her dried beef strips. Cedar and Ash scolded her along with Justice, but she waved them off. She'd want to die comfortably with no needs unfulfilled. 

"Here's to us..." Ash said solemnly as he raised Cedar's bottle. He had a vague idea of what was going to happen. Him and Cedar knew that someone out of their quartet was going to die. 

"To us," all of them said in unison, clinking the three water bottles against each other before taking another sip. 

When it was near afternoon, all of them decided it would be best to leave if they were to follow Ash's plan of hiding in the Cornucopia. And so, packing their bags, they began to traipse through the muddy land and swampy water, trying their best to ignore the insects that flew around them. The beauty of the swamp began to disappear as death proceeded to come close. 

The walk to the horn was not long, ten-fifteen-minutes at least and when they arrived, it looked deserted. They had Ash go scope out the area and when he came back, he reported that indeed no-one was there. And so, their plan started. Hiding in the Cornucopia, weapons close to chest, fingers turning white at the pressure and tension, the four of them waited. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

They waited for so long that they figured the Feast was cancelled or that it was an entire ruse. But Juniper swore she saw a flash of a tribute at a nearby tree. The sound of rustling coming from a collection of shrubs. The faint whispering that came from tributes. From killers. From murderers. Murderers that were soon going to kill Cedar, Ash, Juniper Hale, and Justice Hale. 

When it hit afternoon, the muddy ground in-front of the Cornucopia suddenly split into two and a round table with a pristine white cloth atop it rose into the arena. It was perhaps the cleanest item in the entire Games and so were the bags. Ten in total with the district numbers written on them in black. One for One, which shocked Juniper and she felt a sudden surprisement, but joy when she realised one of the Careers' were dead. Two for Two. Two for Six. Two for Seven. One for Eight. Two for Ten. 

Either Rayon or Satin. Leona and Jagger. Wing and Hermes. Cedar and Ash. Dallas. Juniper and Justice. That was all that was left. Ten out of twenty-four. Fourteen tributes had died just for this. Just for the Feast. Just for the second bloodbath. 

The four of them hiding in the Cornucopia waited, waited for someone to come out first. But no-one did. Everyone was waiting for each other. And it was then, when no-one came forth, that Ash and Juniper's plan was in full motion. 

It was the mere nod of the head from him, the slight thumbs up from Juniper, that caused the four of them to quickly stand up and bolt out of the Cornucopia, hands outstretched for the bags. But whilst Cedar, Ash, and Justice zoomed to the table, Juniper stood still because this was it. Cedar, Ash, and Justice couldn't survive against the Careers', Dallas, Wing, and Hermes. They would die and so, there was no point in trying, no point in fighting.

But as the four of them ran out, the ambush started. To Juniper's left, Rayon and Dallas darted out, their spears high up as they were set to throw them. To her right, Leona and Jagger were bolting towards them, bow aimed and knives in palms. 

They were outsmarted. They didn't see the Careers' when the scoped. They were waiting there the entire time. 

"Shit!" Cedar yelled as she readied her axe, the white bag already on her back, atop the other one. The extra weight was slowing her down. "Juniper! Duck!"

Rayon's spear went whizzing past Juniper as she sidestepped him, nearly tumbling over multiple empty crates. Cedar was swinging her axe vigorously, but was missing. Ash was flipping his sword as he prepared to fight Jagger. And Justice was just standing there. He was just standing in shock, but when his eyes met Juniper's, it brought him back to reality because even though they were in the midst of an ambush, he still rushed to her side. 

"We need to get out of here!" Justice yelled as he watched Cedar and Ash fight four people by themselves. "June, we need to get out of here!"

It was only Juniper's promise that she wouldn't die by the hand of the Careers' that fuelled her to be moved by Justice. That was until she froze in shock. Wing and Hermes had just rounded the corner, their blades up high. And it was then that Juniper stood still, closing her eyes. 

This was it. 

She was going to die right there, right now. And so was Justice. So, she grabbed his hand and clutched it tightly because the last thing she would want in this world before she died was to be holding her twin's hand. It had been Juniper and Justice since birth and death because District Ten civilians stuck together. That must have been why everyone got upset at Brent Higgins, who would do anything to flaunt his luck and wealth to those affected by poverty. District Ten always stuck together, through thick and thin. And now, staying true to that promise, her and Justice would die together. 

Until they didn't.

When Juniper opened her eyes, she gasped when she saw that Wing and Hermes had completely dismissed the two of them, already wading through the moat with their bags in hands. Wing and Hermes didn't kill them and it made Juniper shrink for a second because they were supposed to kill them. Wing and Hermes from District Six had to kill Juniper and Justice from Ten. 

And it was only when Juniper heard a little gasp from her brother beside her that she turned around and became mobile. 

But, in that moment, she wished she hadn't. She wished she hadn't turned around, that Wing and Hermes could just toughen up and kill them. Because if she didn't turn around, she wouldn't have seen Leona holding her brother's shoulders from behind, holding a dagger she had taken from the rack in the Cornucopia. She wouldn't have seen the massive blood spot that was growing quicker and quicker with every passing second in Justice's abdomen. 

"No!" Juniper screamed, holding her hand up to her mouth when she saw Justice's petrified, pained eyes. It was only when Leona pushed her brother away, running to help Jagger, Rayon, and Dallas, that Juniper grabbed ahold of Justice's weak body. 

"I think I got stabbed by someone," Justice tried to croak out, but he ended up in a coughing fit, blood trickling down his chin as Juniper's shaky hand tried to wipe it away. 

"Shit, shit, shit!" Juniper hissed as she wrapped her arms around her brother's waist, trying hard to hold back a sob. The conflict going on in the background was foreign to her because in that moment, it was just her and Justice. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay... shush, shush..."

"June..." Justice had enough strength to lift up his hand to cup his sister's cheek. "We need to get out of here."

Without even a thought for Cedar or Ash, ignoring the tears that were threatening to spill, Juniper slung Justice's arm over her shoulder and proceeded to help the boy away from the muddy island that the Cornucopia sat on, forgetting about the District Ten bags that were on the table because it was just her and Justice.

 It was just Juniper and Justice. 

And she tried to block out everything. Tried to block out the screams that came from the fight behind them. The groans that Justice let out when they entered the moat and Juniper gritted her teeth when she realised the wound on Justice's abdomen would surely get infected with all the diseases that were in the water. But that wasn't of enough concern. The main concern was getting Justice away from the bloodbath. Justice was all that mattered in that moment. 

"June." Justice coughed as he attempted to scramble out of his sister's grasp. They were out of the moat and away from the Cornucopia enough that it had disappeared in all of the foliage that surrounded them. "Here..."

"Damn!" Juniper yelled again as she propped Justice against a tree, slipping her bag off of her back, trying to find the gauzes, but then she remembered she didn't have them. "Cedar has the stupid gauzes!"

"I-I don't need a gauze, June—"

"I'm not letting some Career kill you, Just!" Juniper hissed as she felt tears fall down her face. She was probably overreacting, but Leona had hit Justice in a vital spot and she had made a promise to herself that she would— 

"June, please," Justice tried to interrupt her thoughts. When Juniper looked at him, his lips were already grey as well as his face. Stains of blood were still on his cheek. "I need you to—"

"I need to stop the bleeding," Juniper hurriedly said as she pressed her palm against the wound. Justice nearly passed out when she applied pressure. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Wing and Hermes, I thought they were going—"

"June—"

"I am so sorry, Just—"

"June—"

"This is my fault." Juniper nodded. "But it's going to be okay. Cedar and Ash are gonna come back, if they're even alive still, and we're gonna get a gauge and we're gonna fix you up because there is no way in hell that I am letting you die by Leona—"

"But you always intended for me to die," Justice told her, causing Juniper to look up at him. She tried to ignore the feeling of his warm blood soaking into her flesh. "Right from the beginning. It was always you and me dying, right? Together?"

"Of course." Juniper nodded. "We should have died on day one. That was our agreement. Die straight away so we wouldn't have to live in this goddamn arena."

"You're so dumb, June." Justice had tears rolling down his cheek as he banged his head against the tree behind him. "You're so dumb."

"What?"

"You always intended for you and me to both die, right?" Justice asked and when she nodded, he sighed. "I always intended for just me..."

Juniper furrowed her brows. What did Justice mean by that? Just him? What did he mean he always intended for just him? 

And then it struck her. It struck her like a freight train. Justice always intended for just him to die.

"What do you mean?" Juniper was afraid to ask the question. "What do you mean you always intended for just yourself?"

"You were always supposed to live, not die. It's you, June. You have to win. You have to live, not me—"

"You made a promise!"

"I crossed my fingers, dumbass!"

His statement momentarily made Juniper freeze. Crossed fingers? Justice crossed his fingers? No. No, Juniper would have known if Justice had crossed his fingers or merely put his hand behind his back. She tried to think back to the moment on the train and she was sure he hadn't— 

("And so, it's agreed." Justice nodded. He put his hand behind his back. "If you die, I die—")

Justice had lied. Justice had crossed his fingers. He had broken their promise. And as Juniper gasped slightly, feeling betrayal run through her bones, she could only look at Justice with rage. Here he was on the brink of death and he was telling Juniper that he had lied? That he betrayed her? That everything he said, he didn't mean?

"That's why I tried in the interview... because I thought if I did good, it would reflect positively on you... that's why I wanted to ally with Cedar and Ash so badly because I knew they could keep you alive if I couldn't... that's why I made you test out the weapons in training, so you knew how to handle one when the time came... that's why I didn't want to come here because I knew there was a chance you could die... you are supposed to win, June, not me... I've never had a chance. The odds were never in my favour."

(Justice was trying. Why was he trying? Maybe it was because of their father, that if he did well, their father would be spared. Yes, that was it.)

("Yeah, I agree," Justice murmured. "But you do know that Ash and Cedar won't kill us... they actually want allies.")

("It would be good to know," he said. He wanted to join Cedar and Ash, who were now walking away. "And who else can say they've wielded a sword before?")

("But it'll be another bloodbath," Justice said, but when he saw Juniper's quick glance, he added, "The Careers' will be there. And so will Dallas.")

All Juniper could do was stare. Stare at Justice. The entire time, Juniper planned for both her and Justice to die, but the boy had been plotting behind her back. He probably was thinking about this since the moment they were both Reaped. Justice was the mastermind of this situation and Juniper was his mere puppet. Justice had betrayed her by signing his own death note. Justice lied to her. 

Justice. Justice. Justice.

"You bastard..." was all Juniper could say as she let tears blur her vision, running widely down her cheeks. Everything was coming together. Justice's hesitation of everything dangerous. Justice actually trying. He was trying to save her whilst she was trying to find people to kill them. "You sick bastard..."

"I know... I know..." Justice cooed, but the pain from his stab wound caused him to hiss. "But, June.... what I'm going to ask you next, you cannot think of me badly... and you have to do it because you know I would follow your wish..."

"You're sick... you went behind my back... you broke our agreement."

"June... I know you're upset, but I need you to do this for me..."

"And what's that?" Juniper hissed harshly, seeing Justice wince slightly in her blurry vision. 

"I need you to kill me."

⇢ ˗ˏˋ matz 🎧 !

— before anyone says anything, they are just children. they have grown up with this specific idea of the games and the careers' and so to justice, asking june to kill him is normal (in some sense). to him, it's the only option because they are kids, they don't know how to fight or to survive in an arena. 

idk if that made sense or not. i suck at explaining things