Sneaking away at last {Cato}

[Knuckles]

Evander Birch

From the day we arrive on the planet and blinking, step into the sun

Nights have become sleepless. My little girl screams throughout the night, and for the most part, I can calm her down. I give her the forumla. I make sure she's burped and changed and everything a parent does for their child, but without Lexi life has become a challenge. It's hard staring down at my baby knowing that her mom died so she could live leaving me a single father to raise a child in the harsh world. But I give it my all. One hundred and ten percent. All the time because that's what every parent should do. Raise their child right because only ripred knows what would happen if a parent doesn't take care of the innocent being as they go through life.

Thankfully, Apollo, of all people, volunteered to watch little Lexi while I take a nap. It's been such a long day. My body dragging on throughout the day while my mind falls asleep with every single movement I make. It hasn't been much, but she really needs to learn to sleep through the nights. She needs to learn that night time is not for crying and keeping a sleep man awake, but she's my enitre life. She's perfect. I wouldn't change anything at all about her because she's precious.

Resting my head on the arm of the couch I slowly drift off to sleep not thinking about anything that could possibly go wrong.

About two hours later, I wake up to a house that's too quiet. Stretching my arms and legs, I get on my feet and start roaming around. No sign of Apollo or Lexi. Panic runs throughout my veins. My heart races inside my chest going as fast as it possibly can. My eyes scan the area as I look for any sign of them, but there's nothing to be found.

"Apollo!" I shout at the top of my lungs as I search through the house. Opening and closing doors. Slamming the ones that remain in my way. "Apollo Birch!" But it remains silent. An eerie feeling floods through my veins as all the possible ideas sprint through my mind. I just hope Lexi is okay.

Finally it dawns on me where Apollo might've gone. I quickly put my shoes on and dart out of the house heading straight for the training center. It's the only place I've ever seen my brother when he's not home, and I pray that he's there. I don't want to think about what happens if he's not. I don't want to think about him not being there, but it runs across my mind so many times. I just hope he's there. I hope I can find him because it's wrong to run away with your own brother's baby.

table by Anzie <333

462 words

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Apollo Birch

"I'll watch her for you. Get some rest."

I help Evander with his child. Not because I want to help him get rest or any of that bull. I intend to raise this child as if it were my own. Evander going to pass on his weaknesses if he's allowed to watch over the child. While he sleeps, I will begin to teach this kid everything I know. Which is considerably more than what Evander thinks he knows. Yeah I want Evander to rest. Thankfully he obliges and the child is now mine.

Off to the training center I go. Weird place to bring a baby, but that's where it'll be when the baby is grown up. I arrive at my destination to skeptical looks. No doubt about the baby. I'm not denied entry thankfully. With the baby in hand, I march over to the archery station. The bow. The one weapon in this world that I feel at home with. I ask one of my friends to watch the baby while I shoot. Notching an arrow, I watch as my shot sinks into one of the dummies head.

"You'll learn to shoot like that one day."

Silly of me to talk to the baby when it has no hope of understanding. Still its nice to not have to argue with the soft hearted Evander. Always the weakling. Were he dead and Ares alive in his place, this world would be a much better place to live in. Sadly that isn't the case. I go on with my life. Keep up the things I did before my partner died.

[Knuckles]

Evander Birch

From the day we arrive on the planet and blinking, step into the sun

I could feel my blood boiling as I ran towards the training center. Apollo better be there, or I will kill him. He kidnapped my baby. He took her away when all he was supposed to be doing was watching her. He was supposed to make sure that she was safe, not run away with her. My mind was racing. I couldn't think. All I wanted was for her to be safe. I can't fathom losing her because she's the love of my life. Lexi died. I was heartbroken, couldn't imagine what was going on. I couldn't give up. I couldn't do anything else. I wanted to die, but my world turned around as I laid eyes on the tiny girl for the first time in my entire life.

A girl who reminded me so much of my beautiful girlfriend.

When I see the training center, I take off running as fast as I possibly can. I burst through the doors and look around trying to find my brother, and my daughter. I don't know where to go until I remember that his favorite weapon is a bow. Something he loves. Something he always carries around.

"You'll learn to shoot like that one day."

My eyes stop and fix on him. The arrow left his hand landing straight in the head of the dummy, and I can't see my daughter. I don't know where she is. That's when I see a stranger holding her. What the actual fuck. "Apollo!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Anger surges through my veins. Red specks dance in front of my eyes. I was stupid to trust him. Stupid to really think he'd take care of my daughter. Instead he's showing her a path, that I didn't want her to take. I didn't want her to become a career. I don't wait for him to answer. My hand balls into a fist, and I run forward slamming it as hard as I possibly straight into his nose.

Blood pours down my hand. My entire body shakes.

My heart sinks as I realize I became just like him. A monster acting before thinking.

table by Anzie <333

359 words

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Apollo Birch

Today is my day. To show my niece something my coward brother would never show her. I want her to become like me. A monster. A killing machine. One who longs to be in the games. I'm talking with my friends. I'm having a blast hoping with all that's inside of me that he's still sleeping. That I can take Lexi back home before he notices she's missing.

I watch as the door flies open, and my brother walks in.

My entire motive has been ruined especially when he comes barging over. I don't know what to do except stand there prepared for some horrible speech he's prepared on how I shouldn't have took the baby, and blah blah blah. I chuckle to myself, and my friends join in. For a moment, it sounds like baby Lexi even laughs. She'll enjoy becoming a career. She'll enjoy learning the ways of life. The way of life that I live. Not my pathetic brother. He'll never amount to anything.

"Well, look who it is. If it's not baby Evander." The guys start laughing, and I know Evander is angry. I can tell by looking at him. It's what I want. He has that beast inside of him. Every Birch has it. I know he does because I've seen it before. He shouts my name. A howl of a beast as he marches towards me, but what happens next is something I never excepted from a baby.

His fist connects with my nose. Pain shoots through my body, but instead of allowing pain to show, I start laughing as much as I possibly can. Well. He's finally grown up. He's finally realized the way of the career life. Evander can no longer tell me that he doesn't train because I can almost guarantee he'll be here every single day. He'll protect his daughter from me. He'll keep her away, but maybe now that I woke the best, he'll finally realize that she's deserving of a career life.

The bow falls from my hands, yet I'm unaware of it. All I can do is stand there as the guys around start chuckling, and I join in with them. Normally, I would retaliate trying to make him angrier because I wanted the beast to grow. I wanted the beast to become alive, but this time I had nothing to do with it. I didn't provoke him like I normally do. All I did this time was bring his daughter to the training center like every child deserves. They brain wash us into mindless machines, and that's my goal for Lexi. That's my goal for Evander. I want to destroy whatever has been blocking his beast because we all know he has one.

Raising a hand, I wipe the blood away from my face. A new wound. A battlescar. Something I'm proud of. Something that I deserve. Something that Evander will soon realize is a part of life. I half expected him to break down crying when he released his anger, but he hasn't. He's standing his grown staring at me. Such a change from a boy that I knew days before. A large, evil grin twists across my face, and now I'm staring at him. My friend hands me the baby, and I hand her back to Evander without saying a word.

I'm finally proud of my brother. Maybe he can bring honor to the Birch name instead of sitting at home crying his eyes out. Maybe he can finally become a worthy opponent instead of swinging a blade around like it's nothing. This is the day. I turn away from him picking my bow up. Somehow I must've dropped it when he surprised me by slamming his fist into my face. I continue laughing as I aim and release an arrow. I watch as it flies through the air making another bull's-eye. Maybe one day I'll compete with him. Maybe one day, he'll show me he's better than me, but until that day, I'll take it one step at a time. I'll show him what I am capable of because now I know he still follows the career lifestyle.

I've done something that I can take responsibility of. I woke the beast that was lurking inside of my brother, and now it's my job to make it come to life.