Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Pairing: Cato/Katniss
Setting: Shortly after the reapings. On the train to the Capitol.
I sit down beside Clove as they run through the Reapings. Clove and I both volunteered to be a part of the 74th Hunger Games, a competition we've trained for. Our mentors, Brutus and Enobaria, are sitting at a table behind our couch. All the tributes look like the same easy-to-kill teenagers as usual. Finally, I'm about to fall asleep when they get to District 12. A small blonde girl is reaped and that's when the unthinkable happens.
A girl in a plain blue dress volunteers.
I sit up, my mouth open in shock. Clove's eyes widen as she looks at me. Brutus drops his glass as Enobaria shrieks.
"What the..." I say, staring at the girl on my screen. It turns out she is the sister of the little 12-year-old whose name was drawn out of the bowl.
Brutus plops down between Clove and I, "Heh, she's gonna be dead meat, Cato. Nothing to worry 'bout." He punches me on the shoulder lightly, chuckling, "You'll see."
Clove snorts, "He's probably right, Cato. Nothing to worry about, right?"
I stare at the television, hanging on every word. Katniss Everdeen is her name. I wonder what sort of survival skills she has. Of course, District 12 has only had two victors, so she could be just another tribute that gets killed in the bloodbath. There's something about her I can't explain, though.
"Cato?" Clove's voice says.
Snapping back to reality, I look at her, "Oh... Yeah, probably."
I highly doubt she's nothing to worry about. Someone with that much bravery...
"Let's see if her partner- And here he goes now." Clove says as I realize what she means. A blonde boy by the name of Peeta Mellark is reaped and makes his way onto the stage.
I crack my neck, shrugging my shoulders, "Eh, I've seen worse, but I've also seen better." Mellark glances at Katniss, watching her for a few seconds at a time. I bite my lip and yawn, "Well, looks like we don't have much to worry about. They'll probably get killed immediately."
Brutus gives me an encouraging smile and stands up, "Probably."
"I bet they will. We're going to have to try to grab you two up some sponsors before they all flock to that girl." Enobaria smirks, a thin line of her sharpened teeth visible. "I can just imagine her lying dead, though."
I glare at Enobaria and stand up, "Excuse me... I need a moment." The others look around, but finally nod and I walk out of the compartment to my bedroom. I think to myself, Look at that. She volunteered. Great, now she's bound to get sponsors and all sorts of stuff if she's any good. I'll have to keep my game up and make sure she's killed as soon as possible.
Cato, do you really want that?
Shut up.
No, do you really want that girl killed for just volunteering. Look, you don't even know if she's good at anything.
I said shut up. I just know she's got some talent, alright!? Something about her just strikes me...
Thankfully, a knock on my door brings me out of the arguement with myself, "What?"
"Cato, we're at the Capitol!" Clove says, opening the door.
"Already?"
She laughs, "Yeah, District 2 isn't exactly far from the Capitol, you know? I bet the others will be arriving shortly."
I look out the window to find our train zipping through the streets of the Capitol. People wearing all sort of colors from pink, blue, yellow, green, and purple are staring at us, which means we're at the train station. I begin to smirk and wave at the people, looking determined. Clove grins at me and waves at the crowd as well.
"Attaboy, Cato! Snatch us up some sponsors, you two." I hear Brutus chortling from behind me.
The citizens wave their hands quickly, smiling stupidly. Finally, our train stops. Brutus, Enobaria, and our escort from the Capitol lead us out of the train to go get prepped for the tribute parade, where I hope to see my newest rival up close for the first time.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review or I'll sick mutts on you. xD Rhymed it. This is my first Hunger Games Fanfic. Hope you liked it!
