A/N: So what really happened to Seneca? Let's find out shall we? read and reply apply (if it pleases reply if not don't easy peasy!) to this like everything else I write. This one updates a bit skewed for reasons explained in the latest Roads chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter one

Never Underestimate the Intelligence of a Fifteen Year Old Girl

I look out the window of the train. It's not the express train the tributes use to get to the capital. This is the coal train, it has a few passenger cars at the back. Usually kept for the capital citizens that take trips across borders. They think it's all the rage to not be in the lap of luxury to go 'rustic' as they put it. I have a heavy heart, I just left what is left of my family behind me on the platform waving goodbye.

I look at the sole suitcase I brought and smirk. For someone twenty years old I travel extremely light. Toiletries, the tailored suit, a few pairs of jeans and dress shirts. Some family photos, if only I could have fit my little sister in here I would have said I am set.

But she waved me off.

She wasn't crying but her face was so upset even so. It hurt to see her so upset and know I was the reason. But she let me go, she didn't fight me every inch and it worries me a bit. Usually she is the hardest nut to crack, she just doesn't budge and yet…

And yet this time she just didn't fight me.

Maybe she thought she wouldn't win.

"Mr. Crane" I hear the other passenger Garnet say as she comes over. She's pure capital, her eyelashes reach her eyebrows.

"Hello Miss Garnet" I say trying to inject some manner of life into my voice. I haven't slept at all.

She leans against the wall, studying me with her vivid violet eyes. I know I have a few young women back in five that did this same thing. She's sizing me up. I would stand straighter, give off an air of superiority but that was just to humor Ariana. Now my shoulders slump and my mind wonders.

She sighs, "It will be good to be back home" she says, "this will be your first time in the Capitol?"

I start, she finally asks me a question, before she was just eyeing me, "no I've been before, a year ago when my sister won the hunger games"

"oh yeeees I remember, dear little one wasn't she, she upset a lot of bookies when she won, they almost all went bankrupt" she laughs her capital laugh

"well she likes to cause trouble" I joke, "she's notorious for it"

Garnet laughs again, and although I have a smile plastered on my face to be polite I want to sock her in the mouth. To talk about the games that torment my little sister like they are just a common television show.

"So what are you going to do in the capital?" she asks

"Creative engineer" I explain, "designing and trouble shooting shows I guess"

"Oh! You mean for the games?" she says

"Well I don't know if its for the games" I say and her face falls

"I see" she looks at a small watch she has hanging from her necklace, "we should be pulling in soon, I better get my things together"

When we pull in I make to go find a relatively inexpensive hotel for the night until I can flesh out the job, and a place to stay. But as soon as I step off there is a lady in bright yellow clothing with matching hair holding a cardboard that reads "Mr Seneca Crane". I am a bit surprised, but go over.

"I'm Seneca Crane" I say a bit shy.

"Oh! Lovely!" she looks me up and down, "well I can see I won't have to work too much magic on you" she laughs, "I'm Kiary Mcmillan, your stylist"

"I'm sorry?" I do look shocked now, "I think you're mistaken"

"No…nono" she says, "I was assigned you by Janus Claymore the gamemaker, he said his assistant has to look the part"

"What?" so Ariana was right it was for the games, I want to board right now and head home. But Kiary has grabbed my hand, "don't be shy!" she says as she leads me away with my suitcase clutches in her other hand.

I'm sorry Ariana, I think sadly, I should have known.

She leads me thru the crowded streets to a domed building. I heard of this building, it's the game center. We head off to a side building where she finally lets go of my hand.

"Just go and introduce yourself" she says, "then meet me in room two-oh-five"

She takes my suitcase with her, so it negates me leaving.

I go in and two men are standing in this lavish office. It's covered in either suede or velour. And there is a desk of dark almost black wood in the middle.

I know one man already President Snow. The last time we met I was wearing an owl costume and he was dressed as some sort of goblin.

He smiles, it seems benign enough, "ah Mr. Crane, made it in one piece it seems, Kiary wasn't too forceful I hope?"

I massage my hand before we shake, "no sir but I think I will have to decline the offer, if it's part of the games that is?"

"What?" the other man says, this must be Janus Claymore, he's tall and skinny. He kind of reminds me of the envoy except he seems to hold himself straighter like he's about to pounce on you and strangle you, "no YOU won't be handling the games boy, just designing the arena, I will be working the games"

I square my shoulders, "even so" I say

"Will you excuse us" President Snow says to Janus who bobs his head and stalks out. When the door clicks shut I want to go and verify it's not locked. Something about Snow unnerves me but I have learned to hide how I feel.

"Will you sit?" he offers me the chair that is part of the desk.

"I'd rather stand" I say balling my hands into fists, what can he possibly say to make me change my mind.

"It must have been hard seeing your sister in the games, so young" he says

"Yessir"

"And all those other tributes dying of thirst or going mad from eating poisonous plants, or a combination of both" he adds

"Sir?"

"Well I was just thinking that knowledge could work to your favour, Ariana's games had to be edited so much because our gamemakers had gone way too drastic on the snakes and the arena. In fact there are only two full copies of those games still in existence. Kept under lock and key" he says

"So you are what? Grooming me to slaughter kids?" I ask

He tsks, "Seneca, what I am offering is a choice, yes the games are a tragic thing, a waste of life, but imagine if we could mold them so the suffering is kept to a minimum?"

It starts to dawn on me, "you didn't like Ariana's game either did you sir?"

He looks uncomfortable, "the outcry from the populous when they saw your little sister watch as her friend die…what was his name again…" he thinks

"Maverick" I say softly

"Yes Maverick poor soul, well they were a pair of tragic heroes, and when he died well the outcry was so violent that we almost had an internal revolt" he adjusts his cravat, "so if we assure they don't die these slow and agonizing deaths it will appease the populous"

"But it's still killing kids!" I look at him, "why not end the games?"

"Treaty of Treason son, its iron clad, the games must go on" He taps my shoulder as he leaves, and whispers, "we could do with someone who wants to be humane at the helm"

He leaves me in the office. I look at the name plate.

This is my office.