“Wherever I look, there’s always that one person who has defied justice at least once in their life. And if they haven’t, then they will do soon. I should know – I fall under that category. Everybody does.” - Eliza
Elizabeth Ryder is a tribute made by PoisonedPoetry. Please do not use her without permission.
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Name: Elizabeth 'Eliza' Ryder
District: Capitol, or any technological/urban ones
Gender: Female
Age: 15
Personality: I am, to say in the least, a rebellious young scoundrel. But not in the way you would expect me to be – But for some reason, my creator doesn’t want me to explain right now: She wants to save it for the backstory, for some reason. That aside, despite my unruly ways, I am genuinely nice to anybody and everybody, unless I have mentally vowed to hate and to despise them to my grave. I’m chilled out often as I’m always one step ahead of any possible obstacles, although they’re not necessarily wise. In fact, I would prefer the more kickass route out, as it displays my natural skills. This, of course, makes me one of the most badass people you’ll ever meet. Seriously, my courses of actions make me look like a super heroine. Or so they say.
Height: 5, 6
Appearance: Eliza has wavy curly red-ginger hair that flows down to her chest, with creamy blonde highlights here and there. She also has pale blue eyes.
Weapon(s): Warhammer, knife
Strengths: Eliza is really agile, due to the amount of running she does. She's also a natural leader, from running a club. Finally, she is greatly focused, so distractions won't be a problem if she has to go into a fight.
Weaknesses: Even though she is fast and agile, Eliza doesn't have enough stamina to keep it up for long. She also struggles to climb, ever since an incident happened (All will be revealed when the backstory is complete). Furthermore, her final area of concern would be her lack of knowledge when it comes to vegetation. Hailing from the Capitol, she has only seen berries that grow in people's gardens, and not out in the wild.
Fears: Lygyrophobia - Aka: The fear of loud noises.
Training strategy: Focus of the survival skills, then the weapons later.
Private Training Strategy: Eliza will aim for a medium score, so that whether she's weak or strong will remain private. She will swing her warhammer into several dummies and use it to kill some holograms in virtual training. Finally, she will conclude by flipping off the gamemakers.
Interview angle: Be calm and relaxed. Act like the games are a pushover. And occasionally diss the Capitol out - Basically, she will be herself.
Bloodbath strategy: Simply charge in, grab a backpack and fight off anybody that dares mess with her.
Games Strategy: If she's in the same games as Beth Willows, then the two will formulate plans to last for as long as possible. But if Eliza is in a small group, she will try to persuade them to come up with a way to trick and kill the careers and some of the biggest threats.
Alliance: Elizabeth Willows, or a small group
Token: A yin-yang pendant, with the yin half (Black with white dot)
Backstory[]
My story begins with the first major of event of everybody’s lives – Being born. When that moment came, I had an agonizing migraine. One that felt like my mind was literally being split in half. (Don’t ask how I remember this, because I have no idea at all).
Unfortunately, life could never be that simple – Whenever certain events happened, the migraine would return. And what was even weirder was that I could sometimes hear another voice in my head, speaking about matters that I weren’t even involved in. But the main reason my life could never be normal was because both of my parents were criminals. During the day, they were like any other Capitolian – always caking themselves with black make-up. But at night, they’d always prepare for their next crime. They weren’t picky – Any kind of evil scheme would do. Sometimes, they would wear black and red for any scams (For example – cheating people out of their money after bets on what would happen). At other times, they would keep their black make-up on, wear black spy suits, and burgle possessions. Very rarely did they resort to mugging. Normally, they would’ve been caught if the law had anything to say about it, but they were incredibly cunning – Whenever they had to open a door or a window to get in, they would wear gloves that wouldn’t leave behind their fingerprints. And if they were going to scam or mug people, they would wear a mask, so that their facial features couldn’t be seen. And once their crime with a certain mask was completed, they would burn it to hide the fact that they possessed it. Sometimes, they would deliver it to other people’s houses so that they got the blame. And afterwards, Dad would create more unique masks for future crimes. Nobody ever got to see them though; otherwise they could make a connection.
When I was really young (about 5 or 6), my parents chose to teach me the life of injustice. They constantly tried to persuade me to wear black and red, so that ‘everybody can see that you’re just like us, and that you love us’. It was often the case where I would be tempted, but then hesitate after another voice spoke in my head. ‘No, you mustn’t, even though it is tempting’. Somehow, I felt it as if somebody was telepathically communicating with me. But then there was that moment I recalled that telepathy didn’t exist… yet. So in the end, I followed my parents. That was the easy part. The next was trying to train me to develop a callous and calculating mind, alongside teaching me how to be agile.
They would set me up with an obstacle course, where I had to duck and dodge incoming items, leap over and crawl under debris, and fight with walking puppets that swung bats and plush weapons at me. Some of them even had a real gun, but with harmless bullets. Boy, that was a nightmare that I almost never escaped.
On my first attempt, I kept receiving blow after blow from flying drum kits and other household items. Then I kept tripping over garbage bins and banging my head on miniature tunnels. But worst of all, I nearly blacked out after the puppets battered me half to death. My parents had to deactivate the obstacle course to check on my condition. The result: As severe as being whacked in the chest with a Warhammer, although that would be bending the milestone a little bit. Taking note of how to improve the course so that I wouldn’t be as hurt, they started to examine everything. Despite my youth, I still knew that the simplest solution would be to quit everything. But I kept it in my head.
From that point on, my parents would carefully reconstruct the obstacle course to my level of experience. No longer did I suffer from bruises. There were only those sporadic occasions where I was grazed. But they were minor and nothing to worry about. I panicked less – My skills developed further to the point where I was ready to participate in missions. Just to be on the safe side, I continued to train until I was 10. My very first crime was to happen on my birthday.
My parents were planning to mug and murder Paul Prosper, one of the richest Capitolians in the district. He was extremely popular with everybody, due to his friendliness and the way he didn’t let his possessions cloud his judgment. But my parents were deeply jealous of him, and wanted to use him to bring turmoil. That way, they could burgle other people’s homes whilst everybody would be at his funeral. They already had everything mapped out, since he had a meeting to go to. He would want to each the place as quickly as possible, so he would take the quickest route. But my parents laid road bumps with spikes so that his tyres would be punctured. He would have to exit the car, and BAM! They would strike then. It was the perfect plan, but there was one variable that would mess it all up – How I would be involved. The thing was that I despised breaking the law for my own benefit.
A few minutes before we set off to complete the scheme I left the house, telling my parents that I was just going to quickly fetch some last minute additions from a secret chamber. They believed it, of course. In reality, I was going to inform Paul that somebody would be planning to murder him, and that I overheard it. However, I would leave out my parents as the criminals – I didn’t want to ruin the family honour.
I knocked lightly on the door, waiting patiently for Paul to show his face. It only took 5 seconds before it swung upon.
“Ah, Eliza Ryder – What a pleasure to see you here at night! Although I don’t know why your parents didn’t come with you!” He said merrily. That was the first time I heard Eliza as a nickname – I liked it in all honesty.
“Mr Prosper, I overheard two people planning to rob and murder you – they’ll be waiting at the road you would take. The one that would take less time to reach your meeting. I’d advise you to leave earlier and go the longer road.” Paul did start to chuckle once more, but his eyes showed he believed me, which was a good thing.
“Why didn’t they kidnap or murder you though?”
“I was hidden very easily. And I fled before they could even see me. It’s nothing but pure luck though.”
“I see… Well thank you Eliza for the warning – I’ll be sure to heed it!”
“You’re welcome!”
I then returned home, where my parents were waiting for me.
“Where are the last minute props?” Mum enquired.
“I couldn’t find the place I kept them. It wouldn’t matter though – The plan wouldn’t have been affected much.” I shrugged. Once more, my parents accepted it. Probably because they thought I was still a pawn in their little game. Yet I was breaking away by them slowly.
Once we arrived there, we immediately worked on setting everything up. The spikes we secured firmly on the road, and the guns were already in our hands. Now we had to play a waiting game. I was the only one who knew the results, yet I still pretended to expect Paul to arrive. But really, he wouldn’t come.
The time passed to 5 minutes after he would’ve arrived, and he still wasn’t there. It was crystal clear that my parents were fed up, so I decided to break the silence.
“Maybe his car broke down on the way,” I suggested.
“Perhaps. Or he’s just too much of a slowpoke to care when he arrives!” Dad said through gritted teeth.
“But honey, you know that isn’t the real him! Elizabeth would be right!”
“Fine. I’ll stick with this conclusion… for now.” We waited for another 30 minutes, before we eventually gave up. I had saved another person's life. Inside, I felt no remorse for betraying my parent’s wishes. And there were several messages I wanted to say, but stored in my mind bank.
‘The same tricks, that once fooled me. They won’t get you anywhere. I’m not the same kid from your memory.’ It stuck inside me head several times a day, for two years.
Throughout the two years of foiled crime waves, I began to notice that I was nothing like my parents – They wanted to hurt people physically and mentally, I wanted to protect them. It was like I was the Yin of the yin-yang – I was the good inside the bad. ‘It was a circle – A mean cycle’ The different interpretations I came up with fitted in with this. But I didn’t want to conceal it in mind for any longer than I had to. So one day, I said the truth.
“Mum, Dad. I know the reason why our crimes have been failing as of late. And by know, I don’t mean that I think I know.” The two of them sat down in silence as I took a deep breath. “I was the one who disrupted everything over the last two years. It started since what would’ve been my first crime – I informed Mr Prosper the situation, although I left out your names. I swapped the rigged die for a normal one. I released Layton from his capture before you could write a letter of random. I guess I made my own way." Everything became deathly silent – The atmosphere was silent enough to hear a pin drop. It was evident that Mum was surprised from the way her mouth gaped open like that of a fish’s. But Dad, who usually supported me the most, was not a happy bunny. His face slowly started to turn red, a mixture of shades that would show embarrassment and anger combined. Gradually, the red disappeared and was replaced with a sad expression.
“Elizabeth… how could you decide to throw away your skills for nothing? We just want you to live a lush and prosperous life when you grow older.”
“I don’t wanna hear your sad songs, I don’t want to feel your pain! Besides, it’s my choice what I do! And it’s my choice only. Oh, and I won’t throw my skills away! I’ll be sure to put them to good use!”
“But why now to tell us?!” Mum demanded.
“Any longer, and I wouldn’t have made it. And I didn’t want to be abandoned at the age where I couldn’t possibly fend for myself. Those beatings I took from the first time I trained led preceded my paranoia. But now, I’m no longer afraid to say what I want!” For the first time in what seemed like forever, I had gained the courage to take the chance to gain my liberty. Deep inside, pride pleasurably pulverized the slightly meek girl I was. But all the outbursts of sudden happiness inside of me were soon to be smashed into a thousand tiny pieces of glass.
“You know, we’ve been raising you to become a criminal mastermind, one of brain and brawl. The brawl is working fine, but there must be something in that no-good brain of yours! I understand we said that you could do whatever you wanted, but we clearly never meant anything along these lines!” I could’ve face palmed at Dad’s lame excuse of an insult.
“Where’s your gavel, your jury?! What’s my offense this time?! So what?! You never even suggested anything of the kind! How would I know if you never dropped a bloomin’ clue?! You’re not a judge, but if you’re gonna judge me, sentence me to another life!” Mum looked like she was about to faint. Nonetheless, she made yet another disapproving comment.
“Well, what the heck is going on in your mind?! Has somebody brainwashed you into hating our actions?! Or do you find this situation to be an ecstasy of battle?! What could possibly have turned you into the monstrosity that stands before us?!”
“It’s not a war, no. It’s not a rapture. I’m just a person, but you can’t take it! I believe I’m entitled to my opinions and my actions. The two of you are money obsessed control freaks who believe they’re the only leaders within a ten mile radius!”
“THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOUR ATTITUDE, YOUNG LADY! GO UPSTAIRS TO YOUR ROOM… NOW!” Dad pointed his finger to the stairs, but I had other plans.
“You know what? I think I’m going to leave. Right now!” I collected a supply of food and drink with some clothes and money, against the will of my protesting parents. I had to pen the next chapter in my story by myself, with no assistance. Luckily, I knew where I was going. Unlike my parents. They kept bossing me to go into my room, but their commands fell on deaf ears.
“Park your lazy backside here now!”
“Sorry, but I don’t believe in this family as a whole. In fact, I’d say we were a group of strangers under one roof! Well it was nice to meet you sir, I guess I’ll go! I’d best be on my way out!” And those were the last words that I said before closing them in. I could taste, smell and breathe the freedom that welcomed me with welcome arms. But before I could embrace it back, I needed to find the place I had in mind.
I passed by a tattoo parlour – The first sign that I was nearing my destination. All I had to do was search for a petite building that was being redecorated to become a furniture store. I would then have to climb another building and enter through a chimney. And only then could I take shelter in safety and in secret.
After about half an hour of walking, I came across a building of the exact description. Inside were a few people that applied ivy wallpaper to the walls. The diminutive stature alluded a sense of charm to its quaintness. There was even the latest craze of the Capitol – Pre white marble. Had I not noticed the people, I would’ve most likely have mistaken it for a cottage from a fairytale.
Quickly glancing either side of me, I started to head towards a random ladder that hung down the side of the future shop. Nobody paid me any attention, as it looked like I was headed through the alleyway. It all seemed too easy, but it was better than being too hard.
After slimming through the chimney, I found myself in my new ‘home’. The floorboards were made of solid oak – enough to hold the weight of several people at the time. The walls were normal brick, making the interior more dull and average. A large round window stood at the front, but it was made from reinforced glass. The kind that wouldn’t allow intruders to smash it to break in. There were no visible entrances from the ground floor, but it was supposed to be like that. The only reason I even knew about this place was due to my parents.
Mum and Dad…
I started to punch my fists against the wall in anger, started to groan as I did so. How could those stupid pr*cks be so… so… TRAITOROUS?! First they tell me I can do what I want, and now I’m supposed to follow them all the time? They’d hit an all-time low with turning on their own daughter. I no longer wanted to be remembered as their child at all. I wasn’t one of them. Once more, I started growling in rage.
“Sirius, what was that?”
“Was what?”
“Didn’t you hear some kind of growling?”
“No Orion. I focus on my work rather than my surroundings.” The two had a hearty conversation about all of their mishaps, and it was incredibly boring. I nearly fall asleep and slumped to the floor listening them drone on. But after what seemed like hours, they finally got back to work. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, not wanting to draw more attention to myself. Now I could start furnishing my new ‘home’.
I piled my clothes into separate piles, and laid my nutritional supplies in a corner. It would’ve been nice to have some furniture in there. Luckily, I had some money to purchase some make-shift furniture, like a sleeping bag, or a set of boxes as drawers. It wasn’t anything like my previous home, but I had to make do with it. A plain dusty attic with nothing to do but roam freely around the district.
For one year, I switched my schedule between wandering aimlessly through the magnificent buildings and cooping myself in the attic. All the time, I kept wondering what my parents were doing.
‘Probably celebrating the loss of a traitor’ A voice inside my head said. Strangely, it was the same one that spoke throughout my childhood.
‘Yeah. Probably.’ I thought, scowling at the thought of several innocent yet dumb people falling into the traps of criminal masterminds. If only if I could protect them. ‘If only…’
“Phil, is there anybody in here?”
“Hang on Dan… nope. Nobody. The store’s empty. Well, apart from the products and the tills.”
“And hopefully, the cash!” Something inside of me churned – My desire to protect was washing over my body. I had to ensure that no money left the store in deceitful hands. There was just one problem – I had nothing to defend myself with. But I didn’t even think on it, as I wormed up through the chimney with a flashlight and some rope in my hand. Already, a cunning plan formed inside my head.
I switched the light on and shined it through the window, concealing myself behind a postbox. Unfortunately I couldn’t look and risk being seen. However, I could already tell that it was working from listening to the sound of the thieves scrambling to exit. Swiftly, I turned up the volume of light so it would appear like more vehicles had arrived.
“Argh! What now, Dan?”
“Hang on Phil, I’m thinking. That’s it! There was a window at the front, right? I say we break through the glass and hide wherever it leads to!”
“Perfect!” I groaned slightly at their plan – It was as dumb as choosing to pick a fight against a pack of savage wolves. If Peacekeepers were there, they would shoot at them. They’d be as easy a target as a deer without legs. And even if they made it up, they couldn’t break through the window at all. But they didn’t know that.
“Damn Dan. This glass is tougher than I thought it would be.”
“No sh*t, Sherlock! It must be reinforced. So where the heck are we supposed to go?”
“I don’t know. I guess we submit ourselves to the law.”
“Pfft. Fine.” The two carefully climbed down, whimpering as they landed on the ground. This was even easier than I thought – I just had to ensnare them in the rope, and then bring them to the peacekeepers. To accomplish this, I had to tie the flashlight to the postbox so it would seem like the ‘cars’ were still there. As I did so, the two raised their hands slightly. Now was the time to strike.
I crept behind them, not making a single sound as I tied the rope to a lamppost that stood nearby. Afterwards, I ran around them in circles, carrying the rope with me. The thieves started to holler in shock as I entwined the rope around him so tightly that they couldn’t flail their arms like a lunatic. However, they kept screaming hysterically for help, which attracted unwanted attention from two peacekeepers.
“What are you up to, young madam? Why have you tied up these gentlemen in your rope?” The first one enquired.
“I had to do it. They were going to rob the furniture store.”
“Oh really? And do you have the proof?”
“I believe I do, as a matter of fact!” I started searching through their pockets, but I couldn’t find anything. “Actually, I have none. But I witnessed them inside!”
“If there’s any criminal elements in this case, then it would be from her – She was planning to kidnap us for goodness knows what!”
“And besides, we had no money because we hadn’t stolen it yet! Everything was going well until-“ I winced as one of them stomped hard on the other’s foot.
“Phil! Why would you say that, you dope!” Hissed the one that I presumed to be Dan.
“That’s enough. I’m afraid this young lass is in the right. The two of you are coming with us!” I watched as the two were arrested and taken away by the other Peacekeeper, strongly protesting along the way.
“You’re lucky they had no weapons on them. Otherwise, you would’ve been wiped out. And what would your family think?” I zoned out as the Peacekeeper continued his lecture on safety. When he had said ‘family’, I just wanted to punch him in the gut. I didn’t like them, and vice versa.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.” I muttered lazily. The Peacekeeper offered to drive me home, but I refused. He simply nodded and started to walk away when I remembered something – I could finally get my parents banged up.
“Wait!” He turned to face me.
“What is it?”
“There have been a series of crimes that I think I might have solved.”
“Hmm, explain.”
“Well…” I sighed. Soon, my parents could be banged up. But I had to see to it that justice would finally be served. Goodness knows how many people have fallen victim to my parents’ antics. It would be a relief to see them relieved. So I explained everything on that spot about my parents. About every little trick my parents knew, and about how they trained me to be like them. I also included how I was their downfall, and how I departed my home for good because they would never understand me. At the end of it all, I gasped for breath. Now my parents had to be on the wanted list, surely?
“Elizabeth, we’ll do our best to see your parents locked up for life and executed. But first, we have got to find them. In the meantime, you can stay at an orphanage.”
“No thank you, I’ll be fine. I have some food, drink and money with me.”
“But what will you do if you run out? The only possibility is if I hand you some more.”
“Would you really-“
“Yes, I would. But keep it a secret from the other Peacekeepers – I’ll most likely be sacked if they ever found out.”
“Oh, ok. Thank you!” The Peacekeeper nodded one last time to me before departing. Finally, I had a true father figure in my life. A maternal one would also have been nice, but not necessary. Because I’m not a feeble little girl. As was proven when I gained a burning yearning to make myself known by ridding the streets of crime. No matter what, there would always be somebody out there aspiring to complete their cold devious goals. And it was my job to prevent them from achieving the chaos they meant to create.
The next day, I bought myself two sets of outfits to wear during the night. The first one was a black suit that completely covered my body except for my head, feet and hands. There was also a black pair of running shoes that were quite comfortable, but could still make a sound. It could camouflage me at night, but the suit itself was made of rubber, which may have been useful in case electric currents were involved, but it felt weird on my skin.
The other set was a black dress with a horizontal slate grey stripe near the bottom. There were no sleeves, but it stayed on thanks to the collar of it. It fell down to my knees, which ensured that I couldn’t trip over it. There was also a pair of gloves with a similar style to the dress, with a grey stripe near the top. In addition to this, there was one ring of fabric that slotted into my index finger, meaning that my climbing couldn’t be hindered. In addition to this, I had thigh-high black socks, and boots, specially designed to erase any sound of footsteps. But I couldn’t run as well in them. The finishing touch was a ribbon to tie up my hair so that it couldn’t fall onto my face whilst in pursuit. Out of the two, I preferred this one. Mainly because my first crime foiled with this one was less stressful than my first attempt with outfit number one.
Outfit one meant that I wasn’t as quiet when I hid to uncover who was selling dodgy drugs. The meeting point was already known from the people who survived the drugs they paid him for. It was at a derelict boutique known as Dreamers, which was one of the most popular places to hang around at the time. That was, until the druggies and dealers overtook it and transformed it into their base. Rumour even had it that the druggies had an annual convention every month to discuss their plans for who would be selling their products on whatever day. They all needed to be brought down a peg, but finding them was a puzzle in itself. Sure it was simple at night, but the person depended on the day of the month. It always switches on a monthly basis. Everything was a game of luck.
I had never even heard of the place, so finding it was a tad problematic in a maze like the Capitol. But with the assistance of a tour guide, I was able to find it in no time. Dusty lopsided sign. Cracks down the sides of the walls. A heap of litter loitering like a dump. No doubt about it – This was the place in question. The very same place that invites the scandalous scum into its clutches for its own purposes. For the law-breakers, it was a paradise sent down to them by god. For all the ethical people however, it was Hell crafted to haunt their memories until they carried all thoughts to their grave.
“You know the drill, Terminus. Sell, sell, sell. I don’t give a f*ck if they kill people, just as long as we gain the income that is rightfully ours.” I took cover behind a set of dustbins as this ‘Terminus’ started to pull out something. A table, to hold all of his wares. And there were a crap ton of them. Now I just had to observe them. But I didn’t want to be the customer. I’d rather make observations from close, whilst capturing the fiend. I would’ve had little to no trouble, had it not been for my trainers. Stealth needed to be my biggest asset here, and that was the flaw of the trainers. They had none of it. Therefore, it was almost certain that I would make a noise and get caught. If I was lucky, I would be mistaken for a customer.
I started to tip-toe from the bins towards a lamp post, but I could still hear my steps echoing through the area. Terminus started to quickly glance to every side of him, causing me to break out in a run to hide myself. But he either knew I was there from the sound or because he saw me, because he started to flee the table as if his life depended on it.
‘Crud!’ I thought to myself. ‘I’d better run after him!’ Thankfully, my trainers allowed me to move more deftly and quickly. And when combined with my speed, I reached him very quickly. But I was 2m from him when I started to lose my stamina. It was only after 15 seconds since the pursuit started. But thankfully, Terminus also seemed to have met his boundary with stamina. He was slowing down even quicker than I was. With the last ounce of my strength, I leaped onto him, tackling him to the ground. He didn’t even resist as I tied his hands together behind his back. My second criminal was now caught single-handedly. I was even more proud, since two more seconds of running would have made me collapse on the spot. And I’d likely still be there the next day.
Now compare that with my first crime solved with outfit two. Same mission. Same place. Different drug dealer. But this one was also a psychotic crazed murderer, a complete lunatic even. His name was Saturn, and he had been caught several times by the peacekeepers for different methods of murder. The first time, he stuck several sharp items like knives into his victims to torture them. Their screams were too painful for anybody’s ears to handle, which was why he wore earplugs. As the blood trickled down them, he would collect it and force-feed it to the unfortunate soul. Then when he had absolutely enough of them, he locked them in a cage where they were mauled to death my ant mutts that were ordered from D14. And then they’d be eaten alive, leaving only the skeleton behind in their wake.
The second time, he garroted a young man, ensuring he couldn’t cry out for help. However, he blacked out from this. Saturn’s job was made easier, because now his soon to be victim couldn’t flail about the place. As soon as they arrived at his lair, he injected him with penicillin, which the man was allergic to. His skin started to swell, becoming red and blotchy in the progress. He was gasping like a fish out of water for oxygen, before his airways were blocked. The only reason any of the details were known was because Saturn admitted to his heinous crimes, and even described them in great detail. It disgusted me to know that there was a person who enjoyed being the disgusting dirty animal he was. But I was also excited to be able to try and take down one of the most barbaric people in history. The streets would be much safer without him on the loose.
This time, I spied on Saturn on the rooftops. Below me were a large set of random items that I could hide amongst. Now all I had to do was eliminate him, since it would be too dangerous trying to drag him to the police station. One of my biggest problems was that I only had a knife, and that would be difficult in itself. What made it worse was that it wasn’t acquainted to throwing. I had to go in close range, and I could easily be thrown off by him. My stealth was the only advantage point I had to help me.
“Saturn, you’re the most experienced of us here. Remember to give any customers as gory a death as possible. Pretend to sell them drugs, but they’re sleeping pills. Torture them there and then. Understand?”
“Yes. Now leave me the f*ck alone!”
“Jeez Louise! But fine.” As soon as his leader left him on his own, I carefully descended down, hiding behind a pile of wooden boxes. At first, nothing happened and nobody came. The only sound was of Saturn whistling. I stood there, bored and stuck in my own thoughts.
“HOLY CRAP! I forgot some of the dodgy wares!” My ears pricked up as I heard his footsteps. He wasn’t headed towards me, but to the left side instead. That was a few steps away, so I swiftly ran into the spot. Thankfully, my boots were adapted for stealth. Unlike my trainers, which were for running. The two were like yin and yang – the two kinds of shoes were opposites of one another.
Just as Saturn lifted a box to the side of my head, I spun around the corner and planted the knife into his head. The holes weren’t that deep, but it was still enough to kill him on impact. His eyed rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed to the floor. Finally, one of the biggest threats to society as a whole was dead. No longer could he prey on the vulnerable and scared. No longer would anybody ever have to fear him. Because he was dead. All because of my vow to eradicate the evil that plagued and preyed upon us.
The next day, his death made an appearance on the news. According to it, he was struck down from the air, his killer being a government assassin. The President declared that he/she was glad to see the streets as more safe, and that he/she couldn’t have done it without his/her assassin. But he/she stated that the assassin assigned to the mission died early in the morning from poisoning. I had a suspicion that he/she was trying to cover up the fact that his/her ‘prized assassin’ was a weakling. There was something in his/her voice that made it seem like even he/she couldn’t believe the news. But I didn’t want to mess with him/her. There were better things to do.
A couple more years passed, and I still heard nothing of my parents from the Peacekeeper that offered to help me. I became frustrated, and started vowing that I would get them executed. I wanted them to understand that there’s more to life than the riches that were purloined from under their noses. Their bad blood never ran inside of me, and for that, I was grateful. I was grateful because I didn’t want my mind to become as fraudulent as theirs.
But one day, I found them.
I was stood on the rooftops with a newly acquired Warhammer in my hand. The Peacekeeper had paid for it just to give it to me. Several times a day, I had trained with it by swinging it into targets and dummies. After about 1 month, I became incredibly adept at using it. My skill meant that I could defend myself further when tackling crime head on.
My eye flickered over the streets when I saw two figures in black high-fiving each other. They carried two massive sacks bulging with several items. Money, jewellery, even a grandfather clock.
“I can’t wait until the day we’re discovered comes – We’ll be seen as great thieves of the criminal hierarchy! It’s much better without Elizabeth here!”
“Tell me about it!” The two pecked each other on the lips, before heading my way.
‘This is it,’ I thought to myself. ‘This will be the end of my parents’ reign of tyranny. I may betray the blood of my family, but it’s all for the cause of everybody else. These two jerks have been a major pest mentally, but now the pestering shall completely cease, knowing that the two have been brought to justice.’ I lowered myself onto a different roof, low enough for me to jump down and not break any bones. My parents were steadily heading closer to me. Was now the time to strike? ‘3, 2, 1, GO!’ I somersaulted off the roof, and slammed my Warhammer at my parents. Unfortunately, I missed. By quite a distance.
“Who the hell do you think you are?!” Dad shouted furiously at me. “Come on! Show your goddamn face!” I forgot that my face was shaded in with the shadows of the buildings. Slowly, I stepped forwards with an emotionless expression on my face.
Mum started to gasp at the sight, but Dad only scowled.
“Well, well, well, looks like fate manipulated you into dropping in. No pun intended.” He snickered, cockily staring at me. I said nothing, but gave him a silent challenge. We continued to stare into one another’s eyes, holding it for around a minute. At last, Dad gave in. Moments after he blinked, I did the same.
“Where have you been all this time?! We’ve been worried sick!” Once more, I remained silent. “Please, tell us! Or were you turned into an Avox? Dear Lord! You didn’t follow our footsteps, did you Elizabeth?”
“No.” I said, no emotion being portrayed through my tone of voice. “I’ve just been hanging around. Foiling the negatives that the Capitol reeks of. You know. Oh, and I’m no longer Elizabeth. Just call me Eliza instead. You don’t know how much I loathed the name from the beginning.”
“Eliza darling, what have they done to you?!”
“Hmm?”
“The Peacekeepers! Whoever brought you in! Why did you allow their opinions to override yours?!”
“Their opinions didn’t merge with mine,” I smirked. “Haven’t you remembered that they were mine to begin with? This was all my doing, with the help of a couple of people.” I decided to cut the idle chit-chat short. “So, I see you’ve just burgled a house.”
“Yes. But this is actually going to be our last robbery. Then we thought we’d retire from the business and search for you. Because we thought that if we put our antics on eternal pause, that you’d return home again. So that we could finally be a happy loving family. Just you, me, your father and the baby.”
“The… baby?” I asked.
“Yes. A little boy. We were going to call him Ezio to remind us of you. Times have changed, and we need to act on it. If we continue to live in the past, then we can no longer be a caring family. And that’s just what I want. So will you move on, and forgive us for our callous actions?” Mum opened her arms out to me, and so did Dad. Their way with words was convincing enough to force me to consider it. I nearly forgot what they were saying before my failed ambush took them by surprise. They did seem genuinely sorry, but there was one tiny detail that I picked up on.
“I-I wish I could.”
“But Eliza, why-“
“SHUT UP FOR ONE GODDAMN SECOND!” I snapped at them. “I heard you. Don’t think I’d fall for any of the venom that spills out of your mouths! You wanted to be top of the criminal hierarchy! You said it was better because I wasn’t there! I bet you aren’t even expecting at all!” Mum and Dad stared at me completely horrified. But I wasn’t even finished. “And I saw the mischievous spark in your eye when I was considering it! You’re planning to backstab your own daughter, who was STILL willing to forgive and forget!” Dad looked like he was about to explode like a volcano.
“You may be right on the account that we were planning on backstabbing you, but little Ezio isn’t fiction crafted in our minds. He’s just as real as we all are!” Dad handed me a photo of the scan. He was certainly real. But I was too mad to believe it. That was, until Mum started soothing me.
“See the tiny button nose? It’s just like yours. I can see him being a lot like you. Headstrong. Rebellious. But he’ll still be our adorable little prince. Just like you’ll always be our princess.”
“Didn’t you hear me when Dad admitted that you were going to backstab me?”
“Yes I did!” Before anything could happen, I dived to one side as a bullet flew an inch from where I was. Then I started running.
Everything in the labyrinth I had lived in blurred as I sprinted past it all. Quickly, I was losing my steam. And if I didn’t want to ironically be murdered by the ones I vowed to kill, I had to hide.
I skidded around one corner as I spotted a set of stairs. Up there would be the headquarters of the Peacekeepers. I just had to somehow grab their attention, and then... My parents could be banged up. It wouldn’t be as satisfying as killing them, but it was still good all the same.
“HELP! I’M BEING PURSUED! HELP!” I shrieked as loud as I could. But I couldn’t see them storming out. I had failed. Now I had to outrun my parents. ‘Were they still tailing after me?’ I pondered to myself. But I soon found out when a stinging sensation burnt all over the back of my hand. And then there was another one in shoulder. I found myself falling to my knees, cornered against a wall. ‘So this is where it all ends. I vow revenge, and it all backfires on me? Now I understand that this is a kill or be killed world. We either fight or die. This is the way destiny has chosen to end me. It’s ok though – I had a good run.’ My parents skidded and stared at me deep in the face. If I wanted to attack them, I couldn’t – the Warhammer was out of reach of my good hand. And if I was to try and retrieve it, they would shoot me down.
“Please!” I begged. “Is this what it really has come to? You killing me just to keep your secret?!”
“Just shut. Up.” Dad had that quiet tone to his voice that was more menacing than shouting. I couldn’t bring myself to look into his eyes. I had to make one last ditch attempt, or die trying.
“That moment when you swear it’s all my fault, because you know we’re not the same. It’s-It’s too despicable for me to describe. You’re supposed to be my loving parents. You’re supposed to look out for me no matter the outcome. And yet here you are, betraying the family line. There will be a point where you do the same to Ezio,” Mum glanced down at her bump. “You should be deemed unsafe with children. All the trials you put me through have been part of my life all the time. I’ve used them to survive. I am still your masterpiece, just in a different light. With a different purpose. You should be proud of me for surviving in the streets. That’s what a ruffian would have to do? You could make it seem like I’m a criminal. Imagine a world where criminals were respected. I’d be a criminal for killing them off or banging them up. Then you’d be semi-proud of me for certain. But I guess you can’t accept that change is good.” My parents had a look of confusion on their face. They were most likely picturing me as a criminal.
‘Say how you rebelling against their wishes could also be rebellious.’ A voice said.
‘Ok, I will!’ I thought back. Somehow, I was aware that somebody else was in my mind. It had to be though – The voice sounded nothing like me.
“And on another note, you could say that my first steps as a true criminal began when I defied you. Rebelling – Strictly prohibited by the Capitol, right?” My parents seemed to have absorbed every single word of my miniature speech. I breathed a sigh of relief as they dropped their guns. But I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
A band of Peacekeepers stormed into the area, holding their tasers and guns at the ready. I kept shouting in surprise as Mum and Dad fell limply to the floor as the tasers met with their bodies.
“Don’t worry Eliza, you’re fine now!” Said the Peacekeeper that had helped me through the years. I winced as two more Peacekeepers lifted me. I had no clue where I was going, until I was placed on what felt like a bed. A mask was placed onto my face, releasing a gas over my face. I felt my eyelids flicker until I blacked out.
When I woke up, there were doctors surrounding me. I felt too groggy to do anything, but the doctors sat me up.
“Do you know what happened?” One of them enquired, to which I shook my head slightly. “Well, you had two bullets inside of you. We removed the one that embedded itself into your shoulder, but we couldn’t find the one in your hand – It was too small to even be picked up on the X-ray. You probably won’t be able to use that hand for anything laborious, or for grabbing anything. I’m sorry.” At that point, everything flashed in my mind. The night I finally encountered my parents. How they shot me and left me vulnerable. How the Peacekeepers stormed in, leaving me with no information on where my parents were now and whether or not they were to be executed. I was slightly terrified because of my ignorance, but I was assured that I could see them when I fully recovered. I smiled at that, and waited.
After 24 hours in A&E, I was released from the hospital and guided to the Peacekeeper headquarters. After thanking my doctors for everything, I entered the building alone. At the front desk was the Peacekeeper that helped me before. He directed me to the cell that my parents were in.
“Mum? Dad? Hello?” I carefully approached them as they sat there in their cell. “Look, it’s not easy for me to what I have to say, but I want you to at least understand, ok?” Mum lifted her head up and smiled weakly. But Dad just snorted. ‘How rude.’ I thought to myself.
“Say it.” Dad mumbled, not even paying me any attention. Mum gave him a death glare with her icy eyes, and kicked his leg. After half a minute of a lengthy groan, Dad finally bothered to look at me. He seemed more piteous than anything else. I had to admit, I felt sorry for him.
“After the events of yesterday, and those around the time I ran away, I would like to say sorry. I shouldn’t have done anything to upset you. Had I not developed the urge to see justice served, you wouldn’t be here. We wouldn’t be separated. We wouldn’t be a normal happy family,” At that point, a thought crossed my mind. “You know, there was something I kept secret during my time on my own. Nobody knew about it, not even me. I initially wasn’t too keen on the thought, but now I see that I can’t conceal it forever. Now I see that I wanted us to be reunited as one average yet happy family. One with no crimes, one with no pressure. One where we were all content.” A light of recognition sparked in Dad’s eyes, like he acknowledged my apology. He started doing the one thing that I rarely saw him do – he smiled.
“I forgive you Eliza. But don’t forget to see us at least three times a week. For as long as we live.” He slid his arms through the bars and hugged me. It was one of genuine paternal love and I returned it. I did the same for mum, and then left them be.
Since that day, I roamed the streets on my own. I was still cared for by the Peacekeeper, but not as much as I was in the past. After all, I was 14 and much stronger than before. However, I couldn’t protect the streets as well. With my climbing ability impaired, I had to make do with hiding and running on the road. It also meant I had to create a makeshift staircase just to reach my secret area. It taught me a lesson though – We can all adapt ourselves for each situation.
Nothing much happened for months, until I met a young boy.
He was only 10 years old maximum, and he looked a mess. He wore punk clothing that was torn all over. His hair was dyed with streaks of the primary colours, and was tucked under a black beanie. In addition to this, he wore glasses. But worst of all, he seemed to be alone with little supplies.
“Hello?” I called. “Can I help you?” He shakily turned to face me and I was nearly repelled by one of his facial features – One of his eyes was pure white with no iris or pupil. The other one was a mixture of purple and red.
“Actually, yes. Do you know where there’s a good orphanage? I don’t want to enter a scary one like I’ve heard of.” My heart went out to him, Partially because he was young, but mainly because he had no parents. He was almost like a male younger punk version of me.
“No. Unfortunately not. But I can give you an offer – you could stay with me. That is, if you want to.” I offered my hand to him, waiting to see if he would grab it or not.
“I’ll come. But do you have room for three more kids?” I started to think about the attic and the size.
“I guess you have friends who also need a home?” He nodded. “I think I have some room. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Ok, thank you. Praetorian! Pilfer! Raucous! We have a home!” I watched as a set of twins sprinted over. Whilst one had a slight limp, he looked like he held the capacity to shred anybody to pieces. The other twin had a lean and slender build.
“Raucous! Come here! This girl won’t bite… hopefully.” Shakily, a boy the same age as me revealed himself. He looked to be the healthiest of the bunch.
“And before we set off, who are you?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” The young boy snarled. “But that aside, I’m Intell.”
“Cool.” I said. “I’m Eliza. Now how about we return to my place?” As they all nodded in agreement, I felt something inside of me. For the urge to protect all was stronger than ever. Before, I was the daughter. But now I had to act like a mother to four children I barely knew.
They all inspected the area, which now contained a sofa, several beanbags, a few bookcases, a pile of the supplies I gathered and a desk. The items were delivered after my guardian Peacekeeper ordered them for me to make my place comfortable.
“This place is cool!” Praetorian stated, hobbling towards the bookcases. Pilfer nodded in agreement and strolled after him.
“Thank you. I know this isn’t exactly a mansion, but I’m glad you still like it.”
“All those supplies though. How did you get them?” Intell asked. The topic itself felt personal to me, as the story would reveal nearly my entire life.
“I can’t talk about it – It’s something too personal for me.” Raucous patted my back in sympathy. Out of the quartet, he was the first one to gain my trust.
When I believed they had all settled in, I explained to them that I helped around the district by stopping crime. Nothing about me was revealed, other than the fact that I was shot in the hand and therefore unable to climb. They all seemed so captivated by the idea that they even suggested helping out as well. I was reluctant because I didn’t want them to risk harming themselves, but their pleas were too irresistible.
Intell became the brains of the group, planning several strategies for every case of crime known to human. There were also ideas for if a plan was to go wrong. His intelligence was unrivalled by all in my eyes.
Praetorian became the guard. He would wait at the entrance and warn us if somebody seemed curious. We would then hide and hope for the best. In due time, he built a door with a lock. Despite his limp, he was still handy with several tools.
His twin Pilfer would spy on the streets and report our findings to us. If something smelled fishy to him, then he’d report it to us alongside some extra information that could aid us. Without him, we might not have discovered several crimes.
Although he was shy, Raucous seemed the most willing to tackle crime headstrong. He used to be in an acrobat club before his sister died from falling. Of us all, he was the best climber. And that was the reason why he’d assist me in mission.
This left me as the leader. Whatever I told them to do they’d do. Wherever I’d go, they’d go (unless it was a mission, or to meet with the Peacekeeper). Being the leader was a humongous responsibility, and one that several people would immediately cross off. With it though, came lessons to teach and be taught from.
Everything was fine and dandy until I turned 15. My parents had been released from the prison for excellent behaviour, along with a healthy boy named Ezio. They had even vowed not to live of crime. I could’ve returned to them, but I chose to stay in the attic and take care of the band. Thankfully for me, they were supporting enough to allow me to do so. They had forgiven me, so I forgave them. It was the biggest mistake of my life.
Pilfer reported two people planning to steal a car. Since the crime was big, we all went to interrupt their deed. Whilst myself, Praetorian and Intell were on ground lever, Pilfer and Raucous stood on the rooftops. We all waited patiently, until the two figures came. I held my Warhammer aloft, when Raucous shouted something unintelligibly. I could only make up two words – ‘troupe’ and ‘guns’.
“What now?” I whispered to Intell.
“We run. Retreat!” All of us started to flee the area, when I heard the thud of a body falling. I didn’t turn my head to see who it was. What mattered most to me was the survival of everybody.
As we scrambled through alleyways, I noticed that Praetorian was no longer with us. It didn’t take rocket science for me to know that he was the one who fell to the floor. Pilfer must have seen it too, as he was sobbing as he ran. Well, until we hit a dead end.
The wall in front of us was too tall for us to climb over. The only way over was to either make a human ladder and climb, or if one of us was to sacrifice themselves to boost the others over.
“I’ll do it.” I said. “I just want the three of you to live.”
“No.” Pilfer responded. “Ever since Praetorian died, I have been filled with a soulless void. And besides, the bullet in your hand would reduce your ability.” I wanted to deny this. I really did. But he was telling the truth. Reluctantly, he boosted me over. I was in turn followed by Intell and Raucous. And then there was the sound of a gunshot and a pained groan. Pilfer had been shot. And now he was dying.
Then I saw that Intell was kneeling over on the floor, holding his hand to his stomach. Another two gunshots fired – One from behind, and one in front. Now I was certain that Pilfer and Intell were dead. And that wasn’t the first thing I was certain of – Raucous and I were not alone.
A misty silhouette wavered in the distance. He feared us, or was it anger? Either way, it didn’t matter – he was going to shoot us down.
“Don’t move a muscle.” At the sound of the voice, I felt like I was about to faint. It was somebody I knew. Not a family member, but an acquaintance – The Peacekeeper who held my hand through all of those years. It was a game of friend or foe. And the odds were stacked on foe.
“What are you doing? It’s me – Eliza. Please, let us go.”
“Eliza? Oh, it’s you. Well I’m sorry, but you’re the only one who’s escaping. That boy who you’re stood with right now? He’s the worst kind of villain there is – He’s a rebel. As were his little friends.” Time seemed to slow to a halt. I couldn’t imagine Raucous and the others as rebels against the Capitol. “You’ve sheltered them without knowing, you do realise that? You may have believed you’ve been helping the Capitol, but you’ve been against them too. Half of those crimes were purposefully there to advertise propaganda. We wanted the districts to believe that without us, their lives would be miserable. But no, you crash them and advertise rebelling instead. There has been a small uprising. And no thanks to you, it’s rising. The fire is catching. And if we-“ He was cut off as a bullet penetrated his throat, spilling the crimson fluid everywhere. He was already dead as he fell to his knees. Raucous wrapped his arms around me in what I assumed to be protection. I shuffled slightly closer to him, feeling his breath down my neck.
“What a rip-off of Katniss.” He muttered. “But who knows if whoever shot him is going to be like him. Speaking of which, who helped us?” I came closer to the body as I examined his wound. From where the hole in his neck was, I could already deduce it was an aerial attack. When I looked up, I was met with the familiar sight of my parents, smiling warmly at me. Ezio was also with them.
“Who the heck are they?” Raucous asked.
“My parents.” I watched as they somersaulted down into the alleyway. Grabbing his hand, I pulled Raucous towards them. We were both half-suffocated in their hugs.
“I’m so glad you’re here! But we can’t stay excited for too long – Before we know it, there could be a whole horde of Peacekeepers. We need to get the heck out of here.” My Dad took the lead down the path, closely followed by Mum and Ezio, myself and Raucous. All the way, I stayed in Raucous’s arms.
“Look! We can escape the Capitol from there!” Dad pointed towards a gap in one of the buildings. “We could start anew in a haven. We won’t have to deal with this again!”
“Before we go there, can you hold Ezio for me?”
“Sure!” I held my little brother for the first time, and his eyes almost immediately lightened up. When I smiled at him, he smiled back. Raucous waved at him and also gave him a gentle smile.
“Awwh, bless. I can see Eliza and the guy being good parents.”
“Say what now?” My mouth hung open in slight horror, but Raucous blushed red like a tomato. His shyness set off a tingle in my chest, which bugged me. Although it pestered me, I didn’t mind the fact it meant that I had a small crush on Raucous.
Before I knew what was happening, Raucous leaned down, his forehead meeting with mine. His arms wrapped around my waist. I found myself looking deeply into his eyes. He further leaned his head down. Just when he was about to kiss me, the sound of shots fired off. We both jumped in surprise and Ezio started crying. Our eyes averted to where it came from. And not just that, but a whole new terrifying sight – Mum and Dad had a million holes in their corpses. Blood was splattered everywhere like graffiti. It was so sickening, yet so beautiful at the same time. Something in my mind was snapping. Probably as a result of all the death.
“Eliza, let’s go!” I couldn’t move though – I was firmly rooted to the spot. I kept staring at the vacuum of darkness 10 metres from us. Something was emerging from there. Something scary. Something callous. Something that nobody would want to encounter. Because of the darkness, I couldn’t see what it was, or who it was. But I already knew that they were responsible for firing the guns that killed my parents. Now we were next on their hit list.
The events that occurred after were all a blur of activity – Several more showers of bullets were sent shooting through the air. I still couldn’t move. But another figure had stepped into the firing line, effectively saving my life in return for their own. I turned back and expected to see Raucous gone. But instead, he was still there.
“And down he goes.” One of the mysterious shadows stepped forwards to reveal his identity. I couldn’t believe it though. I thought he was dead, but he seemed to be leading this entire thing. Worst of all, it was somebody I took in – Intell. He no longer had the wounds that were inflicted on him.
“How the hell did you survive?!” I demanded. “And what’s with this charade?!”
“Ah, Eliza. How lovely to see you again. But it was a shame that this twin didn’t stay in time to see his pathetic twin sacrifice himself for the two of you and me.” My mind was on the verge of exploding. Praetorian did survive after all, but now his fate was sealed. He was condemned to death right now. At least he condemned this to himself, rather than Intell being the judge. “Oh, where are my manners? I forgot you asked how I survived. Well, I’ll explain it all later. But first, you better take a quick nap.” Before I could protest, I felt something slam into the back of my head. The momentum was hard enough to make me black out instantly.
Everything blurred as my eyelids slowly flickered open. I was stuck in some kind of large golden cage. Unsteadily, I sat up. As I glanced around me, I saw something else that chilled me to the bone – A very small pile of blood and bones. His organs were all laid delicately around, apart from the stomach. Lying two metres away from me was my own dear little brother. My levels of fury were rising dangerously high. If I exploded, I would probably attack anyone and everyone. That would then be the moment I’d be killed. And I didn’t want that to happen.
“Eliza? Is that you?” When I heard his voice, I just wanted to burst into tears. The only person I had left in my life was still alive. I kept glancing around until I saw him right behind me. In my moment of ecstasy I kissed him, forgetting my problems. His arms slid around me, and mine locked him close to my body. Our passion was aflame, hot enough to melt metal. Only metaphorically though.
“Raucous. You don’t know how glad I am to see you. Have you seen-“
“Ezio? Yes. I puked from seeing that gory sh*t. I’m shocked you didn’t though.”
“I have a strong stomach. And I felt anger more than anything else.”
“Well, it looks like the two turtle doves are enjoying their time in my little dungeon.” I nearly lashed out when Intell rode a zip-line down to our cage. If I had the opportunity to tear out his eyeballs, I would slowly pluck them out to hear his tortured screams. That was how much I hated him.
“Just tell us what you want us to do, damn! Don’t keep it secret! And don’t bother with the question on how you survived – We know it was all an act for whatever deeds you had in mind.” In those brief moments where my resentment was released, Raucous restrained my arms behind my back.
“Fine! But after this, one of you will be killed at random.” I didn’t like the sound of that, but there was no way out of it. “My real name is Elagabalus. And believe it or not, I had surgery to appear 10, and to sound 10. But I’m actually 35.” The plot twists just kept coming and coming. “What that Peacekeeper said was true – We were all rebels. I kept Praetorian, Pilfer and Raucous in the dark about my aims.”
“You son of a –“
“Calm down Raucous.” It was my turn to restrain him. “Go on.”
“My goal was to make Panem a place of despair and ruin. Everywhere, there would be chaos. And if there’s chaos, then there would be a smaller risk of the games starting. And my children would be safely protected from them. But the only way to do so is to spark a major rebellion. Because of you, Elizabeth Ryder, my plans were ruined. In the end, I had to trick you by gaining your trust. Then when you’d least expect it, I’d backstab you. Sadly, your little friends kept getting in the way of your elimination. So I had to knock you out and bring you to my torture centre. Also known as the place you will die!” Out of nowhere, a whistling sound echoed through the air. A dart fired towards me at the speed of light.
“NO!” Raucous shoved me out of the way and shrieked in pain as the dart embedded itself into his chest. Red marks and spots lined every inch of his skin, forming into massive blisters. And then they popped to reveal disgusting yellow pus. I nearly threw up, but held it in.
“Goodbye Elizabeth. Or should I say good-DIE?!” The instant he unlocked the cage, I rammed into him. He gave a shout of disbelief, just as I sprinted towards a door. There was no telling where it led to, but it was my best and only shot at living on.
I tried to open it, but it clicked furiously. It was locked. Using up a crud ton of my strength, I started to kick it. Once. Twice. Multiple times, until it flung open. I didn’t look back as I abandoned the miserable building.
Rain poured as I flung myself into the back of a trailer. The family in the car that carried the trailer muttered about a noise before shrugging it off as the rain. With relief, I sighed. Now I could regain my energy and leave behind my ultimate foe.
“Daddy, do you think Tiber will be reaped today?”
“I don’t know honey. We’ll have to see when we get to the reapings.” Bizarrely, news of the reapings didn’t make me panic. If anything, they just relieved me – I could volunteer and escape certain danger from Elagabalus. He couldn’t touch me, unless I was to become victor.
Once I arrived, I had to wait a few minutes before the reapings begun. It was the females first. Before she could pick a slip, I shrieked the two words that sealed me into the games – ‘I volunteer!’
When they asked me for my name, I said ‘Elizabeth Ryder. But just call me Eliza.’
Afterwards, I waited by myself in the room. Nobody would be coming to see me – My parents were dead, my brother was dead and my friends and loved ones were dead.
“Oh dear – Did somebody volunteer to escape me?” I nearly gagged on the atmosphere as I heard him. “You can forget it, because I can still kill you. Even if you’re in the arena, I can still manipulate the Gamemakers to do whatever it takes to ensure your death is secured. I can make them give you a 12, I can make them target you specifically with their traps. But I’ll have to wait. Such a shame, isn’t it? Until then, see you soon!”
“Wait!” I screamed. “Where the hell are you?!”
“I,” He began. “Am stuck in your mind. Whilst you were knocked out, a chip was inserted into your brain. You can hear me when I speak. I will haunt you ‘till the day you die.” And then he started to laugh like a maniac. It lasted for a few seconds until it faded into the air.
“Don’t listen to him. Just keep calm. You’ll make it through. You’ll see justice served afterwards.” After all the events, I had completely forgotten about the voice in my head. No longer did I feel alone. No longer was I alone. Bearing those thoughts in mind, I started to smile.
(Total amount of words: 11, 368 (according to word))
Optional - Backstory Summary[]
Eliza was born to two criminals and had a migraine the instant she entered the world. It was literally mind-splitting. The migraine would occur every now and then with another voice inside of Eliza’s head. This was one thing that made her life painful, but so was the fact that her parents were criminals. And they were never caught out.
They trained Eliza in their ways, but she was badly wounded on the first day. Nevertheless, they continued her training with safer obstacles. She trained until her 10th birthday, where they would mug and murder Mr. Prosper, who was popular around the district with everyone except for Eliza’s parents. Half an hour before they were due to leave, Eliza left the house to tell Mr. Prosper about the plan. From that point on for 2 years, Eliza would foil her parents’ plans before she confessed. They were furious, but Eliza ran away from her house with supplies.
She ended up living in a secret attic hidden above a shop that was being renovated. Sometimes, she would be pondering in there. At other times, she roamed the district aimlessly. She had no idea what to do until two burglars tried to rob from the shop (which was completed at the time.) She foiled the two and later was offered protection from a caring peacekeeper. She accepted, yet still lived in her not-so-cosy attic.
From that point on, she started foiling crimes left, right and centre. Everything was alright until she came across her parents, carrying a huge sack. She jumped down from the roof and swung her newly-acquired Warhammer at them. Her mum was shocked to see her, but her father merely scowled. One thing she discovered was that her mum was pregnant. But she was angered when they tried to persuade her to forgive them. Eliza snapped at them and even accused them of lying about their unborn son. She had to run from them, and they chased her in pursuit. She ended up with two bullets, one in her shoulder and one in her hand. They were close behind her, but Eliza was trapped between them and a wall. She gave a small speech to buy herself time, just as a band of peacekeepers stormed in and tazered her parents.
Several months later, she met a small band of kids. One was a 10-year old named Intell. Then there was a set of twins called Pilfer and Praetorian. The final one was a shy guy named Raucous. Eliza felt pity for them and took them under her wing.
Eliza’s parents were released when she was 15, which made her somewhat happy. But she was more concerned with a crime where two people planned to steal a car. They all tried to stop them, but they were being swarmed by a huge troupe with guns. The crime fighters were running, but Praetorian had been shot. They ran until they came across a dead end. Pilfer offered to boost them across. Then he was shot as well. Not long after, Intell received a bullet to his stomach. Then the peacekeeper that Eliza was cared for by arrived, insisting he had to shoot Raucous. But then he was struck by a bullet, fired by Eliza’s parents. They had Ezio with them as well. Eliza held him for the first time, which led to a comment about how she and Raucous would make good parents.
Just as Raucous was about to kiss Eliza, several shots fired off. Now Eliza’s parents were dead. Another shower of bullets rained upon them. A figure stepped in front of Eliza, saving her life. She expected it to be Raucous, but he was still behind her. Praetorian had survived the first time, but lost his life in this instance. Intell revealed himself as their foe. Then Eliza and Raucous were hit in the cranium before they blacked out.
They woke up in a cage where Eliza saw Ezio’s corpse. She was slightly scared, but saw Raucous. She quickly kissed him, before Intell entered the room. He started to explain everything, that he wanted chaos so that the games couldn’t start. A dart sailed through the air, aiming at Eliza. But Raucous took the blow instead. When Intell opened the cage door, Eliza tackled him and escaped in the back of a trailer. But then she overheard a family talking about the reapings, which she volunteered for to escape Intell. However, he had inserted a chip into her so that she could hear him. But she could also hear the other voice inside of her.
Inspiration[]
Eliza was based off of Ignorance by Paramore. 'Nuff said, apart from how the lyrics evolved her character.
Ignorance - Paramore LYRICS
'If I'm a bad person, you don't like me. I guess I'll make my own way' - If Eliza's new persona is being frowned upon, she'll still be herself.
'It's a circle, a mean cycle' - It happens over and over again' - As in how the crimes were stopped before Eliza's parents found out
'Where's your gavel? Your jury? What's my offense this time?' - How Eliza feels about her parents disapproving of her.
'You're not a judge, but if you're gonna judge me, well sentence me to another life' - Eliza doesn't like her criminal lifestyle. Enough said.
'Don't wanna hear your sad songs, I don't wanna feel your pain' - Eliza refuses to accept her parents' excuses
'Oh we're not the same' - Pretty self-explanatory.
'Well it was nice to meet you sir. I guess I'll go, I best be on my way out' - Eliza and her parents seem like strangers to one another. It also shows Eliza backing out of the criminal life.
'This is the best thing that's happened. Any longer, and I wouldn't have made it' - She wouldn't have been able to handle the pressure of staying by her parents' side any longer.
'I'm just a person, but you can't take it' - How Eliza is seen as an abomination after the betrayal.
'Well now I can fend for myself' - Once again, self-explanatory. Could also say how she's no longer innocent,
Trivia[]
* The idea for Eliza and Beth came after Aria typed Fait by mistake in chat
- Eliza wasn't originally going to be in the longest tribute contest, until I noticed how long she was becoming
- She is also the second half of a duo that myself and Aria worked on, the first being Scylla and Charybdis (Although the later was given to me later on.)
- Eliza is the first tribute on this wiki to have a backstory that is 10k or more (11, 368)