First Entrance

[brutalcareer]

Something is oddly quiet as the door appears in the bar today. Something very strange. The door slowly opens and some words can be heard yelled outside in the darkness. "It's the only thing I know to do! To bring honor to my district!" Then the sound of an arrow being loosed and the whoosh of air coming through. A body almost falls through the door.

The tall youth, of very stocky build stumbled as he found that he was actually on his feet. He looked at his chest in amazement although there was still a huge gash on his face where claw marks pierced his right cheek. He looked around, blinked, and then looked around again.

Welcome to Milliway's Cato, Tribute from District 2.

Comments

[covert_bandage]

"You know," says the blond fellow at the table with the stack of books nearest the door, "I could be wrong, but sometimes I think this place is dead set against anybody having a quiet drink. Need a hand?"

One day he's going to find out who decided that traveling with the Courier wasn't enough of a disruption from his research position with the Followers, and have a word with them. Today, alas, is not that day.

[brutalcareer]

"Uhhh..." His muscles are stiff from the fight and just the adrenaline in general. His eyes moving about his surrounding. "Where..." He can't even bring himself to finish the sentence and then without thinking, his fingers touch the wound on his cheek as the adrenaline begins to wear down and he winces.

[covert_bandage]

"It's called Milliways. My name's Arcade Gannon. I'm a licensed physician," Arcade says as he comes to his feet. "I can have that cleaned and patched up in a minute or two. Up to you, of course."

No one has ever accused Arcade of having a good bedside manner. There's a reason the Followers don't usually let him anywhere near the patients.

[brutalcareer]

"Last I checked, tributes don't have a place like this in the arena. Is this some sort of trick that the Gamemakers are playing? As if the Muttations weren't bad enough."

He gives Arcade the once over, but he doesn't move.

[covert_bandage]

"Haven't got a clue what you're talking about," says Arcade, "but this place has a tendency to spring its doors on people as a surprise, regardless. For all I know it could be your game-makers."

He didn't hear the capital letters. It happens, sometimes.

"Either way, it's neutral ground and a no-fighting zone, so you can stand down until you go back out there. Although I understand fistfights and mutually agreed-upon duels are allowed in the area behind that door over there."

[againsttherules]

There's a man who was in a booth. He's now heading towards Cato at quite a clip, calling out "Doctor, is there a Doctor in the house?"

Jack West is a trained field medic, and won't squirm at the sight of blood, but those gashes are well out of his league.

[brutalcareer]

Cato backs away quickly, his eyes not exactly the friendliest as they try and hide the fear in him. He doesn't like this stranger coming at him quickly and he reaches for something. He looks down and curses as his sword is gone, lost.

[againsttherules]

Jack slows up when he sees the way Cato is retreating.

"Relax, mate, or you'll end up making it worse." That Australian accent is probably something Cato has never heard before.

"Let's see what we can do for you."

[brutalcareer]

Cato finally finds the words, "What do you mean, 'what you can do for me'? Where am I?"

[againsttherules]

"Those gashes, they need cleaning up. Wouldn't do to have you bleed all over the furniture."

"As for where you are, it's called Milliways. Bar at the end of the Universe."

[real_or_notreal]

Oh. That's less than ideal.

[brutalcareer]

Cato stops moving as he realizes that he's no longer falling. He's on solid floor. He ducks down and looks around... That's when he sees Peeta and he goes as white as a sheet.

[real_or_notreal]

Aside from in paint, he hasn't seen that face since it was falling backwards in a pile of mutts after trying to kill him. Listening to him trying to fight back as he was savaged, before Katniss put him out of his misery. He's part of memories that can't be forgotten.

He has to remember every time he can't walk right. It's Cato's fault. A long sword slamming through the muscle, to the bone. Nearly killing him, and taking his leg forever. So many memories before that, too. Almost all that were like him -- brutally obscene, vulgar, relentless.

Traits that were all good means to survive.



Traits that don't match entirely with the flash of fear.

Peeta raised a hand, half-warding and half-refraining, before he put it down on the table, levering himself up to walk toward him. He'd had to do through this with Rue, too. But Rue and Cato were supposed to have been two completely different cases.

[brutalcareer]

Cato's eyes betray a moment of guilt but he looks away quickly. He forces himself to move forward to meet you halfway. "Hey."

[real_or_notreal]

"Hey." Is an easy mimic, not betraying the greater uncertainty. Peeta's eyes lingered on the gash on his face, then flick back to his eyes. "This your first time?"

[onabirdswing]

Moments after Cato's entrance into Milliways there is the sound of a tray hitting the floor, perhaps accompanied by the sound of breaking glass and dishware.



Rue stares at Cato in mixed disbelief and fear. Her tray and what was going to be her lunch lie at her feet; a puddle of milk spreads out from the remains of a glass.

[brutalcareer]

Cato turns quickly at the sound of the crash. When it sinks in, his own look of disbelief crosses his face.

[onabirdswing]

Rue stares at Cato, partially frozen with fear. Inside her head she keeps repeating to herself, No outside business, no outside business, no outside business, as if to assure herself that he can't hurt her here.

[brutalcareer]

Cato gulps for a moment,

"Aren't you...?"

[onabirdswing]

She nods.

"Uh-huh."

So are you, probably, she thinks to herself, but doesn't say it.

[closesecond]

"Well," the bald man in black remarks, "they seem to be coming in droves lately."

[brutalcareer]

When Cato catches his footing, he just barely hears the comment... "They?"

((Me? Fangirling SO HARD.))

[closesecond]

"New arrivals," Kane says. "To Milliways. You might want to sit down for this one."

[brutalcareer]

Cato looks around for the nearest chair and does just that. Although he has trouble sitting still. He looks at Kane waiting for what's coming.

[closesecond]

"You're nowhere near wherever you were when you came through that door. This place -" he gestures toward the bar behind him - "is an interdimensional nexus located at the terminus of spacetime. In layman's terms, it is a bar at the end of the universe. If you look out that window over there, you can even watch the apocalypse happening in real time."