Prologue
"These aren't just regular tributes. They aren't scared teenagers. They're experienced, smart, victors. This isn't going to be the same game." Haymitch spoke gravely, Katniss and Peeta hanging on to each word.
He was right.
The 75th Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, would be different. Each tribute had already won the Hunger Games. They knew the strengths and weaknesses of one another, almost all of them had watched the other's victory.
"So who do we need to watch out for?" Peeta asked. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth, his mind racing. He needed facts, he needed faces to watch for.
"Everyone."
They rolled their eyes and Katniss snapped, "Who in particular, Haymitch? You can't tell me that every single one of them is a huge threat."
He thought for a moment, taking a swig of liquor and grabbing the remote from the mahogany table. The screen before them lit up.
"Gloss and Cashmere, District One, brother and sister, early 30's, skilled with knives. They are deadly." Haymitch pulled up their photos.
They were classically beautiful with strong builds and eyes of killers. Katniss and Peeta watched from the edges of their seats.
"Brutus and Enobaria, District Two. Brutus is in his late 40's, don't let that fool you. He's a career, just as bloodthirsty as he was the day he won his games. Enobaria, late 20's, she-"
"Ripped out another tribute's throat with her teeth." Katniss interrupted.
Haymitch nodded.
They fell quiet as they stared at her photo. Following her victory, Enobaria had her teeth filed to points to better show her new identity. Haymitch continued.
"Wiress and Beetee, District Three. They're older, but smart. They both used electricity to win their games, Beetee fried an entire career pack."
"Finnick Odair, District Four. He is among the Capitol's most favorite victors. He won because of his multitude of sponsors and his talent with a trident. He has a weakness, though: his district partner. Mags is older and he will protect her. She's no threat, aside from her protection with Finnick."
"Johanna Mason, District Seven. She's smart, and deadly with an axe. She's one of the more recent victors, she won the 71st Games. She pretended to be weak until the number of tributes was smaller, at which time she revealed her strength."
"And finally," Haymitch began, sucking in a deep breath, "Ramsey Clyde."
The photo came up on the screen and the room grew eerily quiet as they stared at the young face. Something about this victor seemed off.
Her big gray eyes stared back at the trio in the most haunting way possible.
"District Ten. She won the 72nd Hunger Games at the age of 15, she's only 18 now. Excluding you two, she's the youngest victor. She looks pretty cute, huh? She is not to be overlooked. Ramsey is manipulative, conniving, and completely wily. She pulled a case of copy cat in regards to Johanna- purposely scored low, put out a sweetheart front, counted herself out of the games. She fooled all of Panem. The Games come around and she's never seen at the bloodbath. No one sees her that day, or night. Day two comes around and she suddenly has a dagger. That night she started her killing spree. She killed 8 tributes in one night, every single one in the exact same way. She crushes the trachea to mute her victim and slits out the jugular- says she learned it from slaughtering livestock back in her district."
By this time Katniss and Peeta had completely honed in on the small victor. How could someone who looked so innocent be so ruthless?
"She wiped out a third of the tributes in one night. The games were over in four days- the fastest games in history. She's silent and quick, no one ever sees or hears her before it's too late."
Peeta felt a chill run up his spine.
"She comes out of the games with that smile." Haymitch pointed to the screen, her perfect teeth gleaming at them. Her lips curved up in a teeth-revealing smirk, so sweet and alluring yet so mysteriously cruel all at once.
"Pulls out this sweetheart front again. She's all smiles and giggles, as if none of it ever happened."
"So she's good at hiding how she feels?" Katniss raised an eyebrow. Why was Haymitch stressing about her so much?
"She's crazy. She is certifiably insane."
Neither Katniss nor Peeta had ever heard Haymitch speak of someone with such gravity. It was unnerving.
"So you want us to stay away from her in the training center, right?" Peeta was entirely unnerved by her, everything about her.
"I'm by no means saying that. What I am saying though, is that you are not to make enemies with her. Her first kill in her games was the District One female career who called her an easy kill in the training center."
With that, Haymitch left the room.
Ramsey Clyde's smirk remained on the screen, staring back at the District Twelve victors.