Cato's POV

I try to make my mind as clear and blank as the face of the dummy I am facing across the room from me, about 20 meters. I take in a deep breath and hurl the spear towards it. It's natural, almost effortless, watching with satisfaction as it buries itself deep within the bulls-eye on its chest. I feel myself swell with pride, not bad, I think to myself,

"Not bad at all." My thoughts are echoed by someone walking towards me, I hadn't known I'd had an audience. I turn to face my, my what? We aren't encouraged to have friends here, but he is more than an acquaintance or contemporary, he's a year younger than me and, I suppose, in a different world without the hunger games, we would be friends.

"Dammit Rufus! Don't sneak up on me like that"

"It's not my fault you're so unobservant" He quipped back, "You're going to need to keep your guard up more if you don't want someone to creep up on you during the games. Don't want to get a dagger in your back."

I turn around and he's holding a sword in one hand, another offered out to me. We aren't meant to engage in hand to hand combat without supervision, but that was when we were still too out of control and risked seriously hurting ourselves and each other, before we new when to stop. I'm still bad at that, I can't distance myself from the fray. Fighting Rufus is alright, we move well together, anticipating each others moves. The sword is an extension of my arm, with it I am completely deadly, not that I am exactly safe without it. But the sword is my weapon of choice. There is almost an art to the way I use it.

We duel, staying relaxed, his calm releases my own tension. With other people I still struggle to keep my cool, my focus. I get angry and if they strike me it becomes personal. I am regularly told that this is my greatest weakness. My grudge holding, the vendettas I have for those who have bettered me. I have lost friends like that. But that isn't as important as ambition. I am driven. I am motivated. I have skills and I know how to use them and my abilities will bring me home from the games and earn my name a place in the legacy of District 2 victors. I will not be passive like Rufus, that is a sign of weakness itself. Even now I clench my teeth as we dance around each other, I am forcing him back, he is moving defensively. You cannot win the games by being defensive. I trip him, and as he stumbles, surprised, I wrench the sword from his grip and push him down to the ground. I have won. Even in an informal, friendly fight with my friend I still feel my competitive side revel in the glory of victory. Not just my success, but my not failing. Failure brought shame and punishment. From simple things like having to do the cleaning of the grimy building, to harsh beatings that left welts across your back for days and burnt when you moved. You would have let down your trainer, and your family who paid for you to be here. For that you would not be allowed out, or to communicate with them. But the system was fair; it worked the other way too. From when we joined the academy we were taught that success in any way was to be rewarded, even if we got in a fight outside of training, going well in it deserved praise. We would be given extra food, more time to relax, greater freedoms, the chance to visit our families my little sister- No. I will not think about that. That has to be earned, and it will be, by my winning the games. This is my year.

"I'm volunteering this year," I say aloud

"I know."

I have to volunteer, it's what I've been training for, I don't really know what else I would do. I'm not cut out to be a stonemason, I suppose if I didn't become a tribute I would join the peacekeeping force, serving the Capitol and Panem. Not my scene. Next year Rufus will volunteer, hopefully I'll be there to see him compete and win.

"Cato, are you," He pauses, uncertain how to go on, "are you nervous?"

The question catches me off guard, it's not the type of thing the trainers like us to talk about, they like us to discuss training and winning and tactics and the glory. I hadn't even thought about it much,

"Yeah." I hear myself saying, "I mean, I'm going to do it, because what else is there?"

Rufus doesn't answer, he just looks at me with his head on one side. I feel the need to talk, to explain, to let it all out and the words start coming before I can stop them,

"For me, I don't know what else I would do with myself if I wasn't a tribute. And I don't want to die, so I have to win. And that's what it's all been for hasn't it? The past eleven years, the past eighteen years really, this is what it's been for. Preparing me to volunteer." I am talking more to myself now, "That's what I am, this is my career, to train hard, to compete well, to be crowned victor and bring honour to me, to district 2. It's a bit pathetic if I don't win to be honest, this is the only thing I can do." I lose myself in my thoughts when Rufus playfully punches my shoulder, pulling me back down to reality,

"Course you'll win Cato!" He gives me a genuine smile, "Get ready for the reaping now, you want to look good for the cameras"

By now we had wondered out of the gym and to the changing room.

"See you at the square" I call out to him as he leaves.

I strip off and get in the shower, at first no water comes at all and then when it does it is cold. I wonder what it will be like in the Capitol. District 2 is one of the wealthier districts, and even here people still go without; obviously people don't starve, not like the animals who live in the outer districts, but it's hard, especially for those who aren't going to be victors. We have to be fed well to keep up our strength and kept in excellent health. At the academy there is always heating and running water, though both can be temperamental. Not all kids go to the academy; first off your family have to be rich. Rich enough to afford to not have your kid work, and also rich enough to pay. All across Panem school is free and compulsory, where we learn the history of our nation and important things about our district and how to be better citizen, we still have that here of course, but it takes a back-seat, it's more important that we will be good tributes. I've been here since I was seven; at eleven, and then again at fourteen loads of children get kicked out, the ones who are weak, physically and emotionally. People don't want to leave, but sometimes someone will drop out. They can't handle the intense training or the punishments for losing, or their families can no longer afford to send them. There are only 5 boys left who joined with me, they will become peace-keepers, after all, that's what this academy is officially for, training soldiers. But we use it to prepare to be tributes, technically we aren't supposed to, but the Capitol don't care. As long as they get their peace-keepers and good crop of tributes for an interesting game they don't care at all I think with bitterness.

Once I've dried off I get dressed in my reaping clothes, they are smart and expensive, I doubt anyone else will be as well-dressed as I am. It's hardly worth the effort of getting done up when you know you won't make it on to the stage. For a brief moment I wonder what it must be like to be one of them. Weak and vulnerable to attack, but they aren't attacked. They just go through their lives; hunting no one, hunted by no one. "Being no one." I hear the voice of my trainer in my head. I will be famous, people will chant my name and love me, I will do something, be someone, bring pride and honour to my district, because that is what matters. That is what being alive is about. I square my shoulders and head out to the reaping, already I can feel adrenaline coursing through my veins. I, and all the others from the academy know what will happen today. Within an hour I will be the male tribute representing district 2 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

I am ready.

Hi everyone. This is my first upload, so please let me know what you think. Any reviews would be massively appreciated. I think this might turn into a Catoniss fic. Just because I like Cato, and think that even though he is a big and brutal, he must have his own story to tell. I also think their relationship was so dynamic and they had a lot of chemistry, in the books and the film, so I thought I would try and tap that potential. But please let me know if you think that this is good or have any ideas. Thankyou