***Plot twist! Katniss and Clove are both outcasts in the Hunger Games, and both being extremely skilled and clever, they decide to work together to take down their opponents until they have to go their separate ways. ***

***NOTE: I plan on writing shorter chapters for this story in order to be able to update quicker.***

Part 1: The Introduction to the Capital.

Chapter 1: The Reaping.

Hunger Games reaping's were just swell. That is, if you enjoy watching two unwilling children being shoved off to their ultimate death.

In District 12, for example, there were never volunteers. It was always a random drawing, where those chosen were dragged off kicking and screaming.

That was, until Katniss Everdeen volunteered in replacement for her 12 year old sister, Primrose.

In District 2 though, every year there were two designated volunteers. Two people who had trained at a career facility since they were 9. If you were a career, your time would come. And if you weren't, you never had to worry about being drawn.

This time, the chosen careers were Cato and Marie, both in their last year being eligible for the reaping.

But Cato had some bad blood with a younger girl named Clove, also a career. They were close as children, until Cato cut her out of his life and attempted to keep her from entering the Hunger Games at all out of spite.

And when Clove saw him volunteer, she couldn't resist her finest chance of getting the world's greatest revenge on him.

So she shoved her way to the front of the crowd, raised her hand high in the air, and shouted the magical words, 'I volunteer!'

Without waiting for approval, she marched onto the stage, and made her name known.

And this, was how the two girl's came to be in The Hunger Games.

After the reaping, they took advice from their mentors, stuffed their faces, and waited for more details to be revealed.

As soon as they entered the training center, Clove felt herself officially rejected by Cato. His blatant distaste towards her stung, but it also reminded her what she came her to do.

And with that state of mind, she asserted herself towards the knife throwing area. Her perfected skill. She would show Cato he was wrong about her, she would show all the other competitors what their up against.

She picked her knifes out carefully, choosing only the sharpest three. Then, in three swift movements, she arched her back and shot the daggers into the smack center of the targets.

She could feel the eyes of everyone on her, but she made no move to notice them and let herself ooze cockiness.

She only slightly turned to send Cato a pointed look, but he quickly looked away as soon as they made eye contact.

When she went to return her focus to her precious knives, she caught the eye of a taller brunette female, dressed in the familiar outfit.

They held the gaze for a few moments before Clove broke it out of general awkwardness.

Odd.

Katniss felt more out of place in the training facility than she ever had before in her life. Everyone seemed to fit in somewhere, everyone seemed to have their specialty. And it wasn't like she didn't know what she was best at, she just didn't feel the need to conform to the majority and display her talents to appear more threatening.

So she remained huddled around the various easier areas, like survival skills. She payed close attention to the other tributes skills and weaknesses. They would help her in the arena, she knew.

The only thing she would accomplish was scoping out the competition, she knew. One thing did catch her eye though, the girl with the knives.

She had a unique aura about her, something different than all the other careers, something that made Katniss watch her more closely than the others.

She saw the girl, a District 2, look at someone after her show, and then turn away dejectedly. But while she turned, they made brief eye contact, and it was like an understanding was created between the two girls.

Odd.

***This is just the beginning. The other chapters will be slightly longer, but not by too much. Also, I want to make it very clear that this is a friendship only story, no slash. Thank you. ***

~Adrianna