Elio hadn't bothered to dress up too much. His only accessory is a utility belt (empty) and a canary feather dangling from his necklace. “My, my, my.” Elio croons taking in the hospital-like atmosphere. There's corridors going in almost every direction. A maze. He liked mazes. Elio took the first turn and found himself in a room with only a dagger. “Now,” he said with a raised brow, paws lightly picking up the black blade. It has a slight curve to it. “Surely someone is watching me, no?” He twirled the blade in his paws. Behind him, a hologram snuck up on him with almost startling intelligence. Seemingly oblivious, Elio continued, talking aloud, or possibly to a hidden camera. “And whoever you are, I'm to impress you, yeah?” He went quiet for a moment, registering a flicker of movement behind him. He smiled and continued, as if he hadn't seen, “Well. That shouldn't be too hard. I only wish I knew where to begin.” He jumped to the side just as the hologram pounced. Simultaneously, he twisted around and tackled the hologram to the ground. It is his size, maybe slightly bigger. But Elio smirks, pressing it's shoulders to the ground. “Oh hello there.” He purred, pressing his newly acquired blade to its neck. “Trying to sneak up on me, were you?” He tutted softly and tossed the blade to the side. His eyes were alight with a cruel fire. “Nobody sneaks up on me.” He says, close to the hologram’s ear. He presses down on its neck, tail lashing. And it shatters into a thousand pixels and then disappears. Elio grabbed his blade and tossed it a few times before tucking it into his belt. “Such advanced holograms.” He complimented to empty air, “Almost gives the same thrill as the real thing.” He trotted out of the room and made his way down a hall, a light skip to his step. As he progresses, he encounters a few more holograms, both of which he maims and taunts before ending their animated life. The third killing, he felt, had been the best. The hologram had been different. It wasn't anonymous in nature. He had been picking up a stray bow and studying some poisons when almost the exact replica of his dear friend Ellington had stepped around the corner. “Ellington.” He greeted warily, stepping back, paw already reaching to draw the bow. “No. Not Ellington.” He said, though he hasn't been completely sure. “A very well captured likeness though.” He said, a slight chuckle to disguise its nervousness. What if it really was Ellington? It certainly looked and moved the part. “You think my loyalties will hinder me?” He asked nobody in particular. “Because I don't work like that.” Ellington hadn't even attacked. He had just stood there. Dark eyes pinned on Elio. Elio gathered his wits and pulled the bow, piercing the replica of his friend through the heart without a moment of further hesitation. The hologram didn't immediately die. Elio crossed the room, crouching down next to his fallen friend. “Oh Ellington.” He said, his face placid. “Is this a premonition for how things are to end between us?” He placed a paw gently at his friend's face and stood up straight. “I did warn you.” He said suddenly, his voice cold and business-like. He abandoned his partner. Not staying to watch the “death”. It was almost physically impossible for him to keep quiet. As Elio walked, he narrated everything. Spoke to the empty halls as if he were chatting with a friend. He didn't even stay quiet in a room filled with plants and trees as he chased down a rather disturbing looking squirrel-like creature. He taunted it throughout the chase. And killed it with a throw of his knife. “You know, it's super hard to know what you guys want to see. Want me to be charming-” he grabbed some flowers, “Ruthless?” He sliced the throat of a hologram which leaped out from around the corner. He cleared his throat, setting the flowers down behind the dying hologram's ear, murmuring softly, “Devil’s Helmet.” He said, identifying the purple flowers out loud, “Eat that if the pain gets to be too much.” He left the hologram and continued down his path, “Point is, I don't think any of these skills any of us have really matter. What matters is, I know how to play my part and I'm freaking good at it.” The hallway grew tight and narrow. There were no more rooms. He pushed forward easily, “Because at the end of the day, this is just one big TV show, right? You keep the districts in line, one of us goes free as your little pet.” He paused and adds, “You have cowards, weaklings, and proper children, make it to the finals. Why? Because they're popular. I can be popular. I can be efficient. I can be whatever you need me to be.”
He trails off. The hallway was finally opening up. And on the other side, it was a room. Far bigger than any of the other rooms It was circular and the smooth floor was broken up by a stream and some moss. The lights pulsed above. And an arrow whizzed by his ear. Elio headed towards the edge of the river and quickly noted his surroundings. Five holograms. A few trees. One archer. The rest of the holograms seemed to have short ranged weapons. “Ah, finally something interesting.” Elio grinned. He ducked and weaved around a series of arrows and was vaguely aware of the two hologram cats on his heels. He focused on the archer. With the distance closed, the hologram with the bow had no choice but to run. It must not be calibrated for hand to hand combat. Elio contemplated using his own bow, but where was the fun in that? Nimble and determined, he pursued his target across the room and cornered it against the river. Without hesitation, he threw his body at the hologram, tossing it, and himself, into the frigid waters. It was a struggle, but eventually, the hologram went limp. Elio broke the surface with a gasp as was almost immediately hit by a throwing knife. “Oh come on.” He said, panting as he paddled to the other side, “Not a little break? Not even a water-” he pulled himself into shire and darted away, taking shelter behind a rocky outcropping to catch his breath, “Not even a water cat. Though, obviously your buddy over there wasn't either.” The second hologram, the one with the throwing knives, peeked around the corner, and he swiftly ended it. He didn't take the time to tease out it's death. The third hologram was not far behind. It charged at him, sword swinging. Elio ducked and pulled out his small blade, catching the edge of the hologram's sword. He spun it off the side and advanced. From somewhere behind him, some sort of weapon had caught his back and he felt the sharp sting of what felt like a knife wound. Ignoring it, he danced with the third hologram and ended it by pinning it against a tree and turning its own blade into its chest. The fourth hologram also has a sword. Eager to get the fight done, he shot an arrow directly into its throat. It was quiet. “I know you're there.” He called stalking across the ground. He paused under the largest of the trees. Where was the fifth hologram? The answer came from above. A heavy weight suddenly crashing on his shoulders. He let his legs collapse and rolled around with the biggest of all the holograms. His own strength was no use. Its paws slammed on his shoulders, pressing him into the ground. And for all of his quips and hubris, Elio froze. He froze for the slightest moment, looking up into those ruthless neon eyes. The hologram pressed harder down, claws sinking into his flesh. He kicked up with his back legs and hit his opponent’s inner leg, causing it to buckle. The moment of reprieve was all he needed. Elio savagely fought back. He didn't use weapons. He maimed the hologram's face and traded punches. He bit at the hologram's throat. And attacked its legs. It ended with the hologram stumbling to the ground and collapsing. Dying. Elio growled viciously, “Get up.” He wasn't fighting a hologram anymore. Suddenly, he was nine years old, back in district twelve, killing his first victim. His abuser. “Get up!” He snarled, attacking the already down hologram. “You're weak!” He hissed, grabbing it by its scruff. The hologram was heavy, but adrenaline made it possible. He hauled the hologram up the tree branches, dragging its body up to the very top branch. He took a moment, panting, “You. Can't. Hurt. Me.” He hissed, close to its face. And with a shove, he pushed it off the top branch, watching it fall with a detached sort of calmness. It was moments later that he would come back to his senses. Elio took a moment to assess his wounds. A few bruises. More than enough cuts. The only pressing thing was a gash on his right forearm. Where had that come from? He made his way down the tree and dropped his weapons to the ground. He used his utility belt as a makeshift tourniquet, tightening it with his teeth and good paw. From there, it was cake. He backtracked seamlessly, never once making a wrong turn. When he finally got to the exit, he turned around, facing the long hall in which it had all started. With an elaborate bow, he smirked, “And the canary escapes once again.” He finally spotted it. A scuttling bug sort of thing. That must be one of the cameras. He made eye contact with it and smiled, “Send Imperium my love, yeah?” Ciao [[×]] IM SO SORRY IT'S SO LONG. TLDR in comments. Also, new Dakoda Bloodline pride flag just dropped lmao.
