Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.
Cato POV
2 months later
I am riding in a town cab to the train station with Enobaria. My family said goodbye to me yesterday because Enobaria insisted we take the 4AM train to pick up the other "athletes". She said "athletes" was the term used in the Olympics so that is what we are going to be called instead of tributes.
~flashback~
"Cato, make friends with the team. It is the only way to come back. Lone wolves are prizes for the other teams," my father advises, "I know all through training you are taught with the mentality that one can survive and only one can be a victor. Now you are an athlete and that means the whole team has a chance to come back. Bring back a trainer and honor. I will be dropping by to see how you are doing, but I will not take any of your time to talk so always work your hardest because you will not know when I am there."
"Thanks dad," I say as I shake his hand with a stone, emotionless face. He never has been one for sentimental, but this is the most comfort I have ever gotten from him. "I will return and bring honor to the Newman name."
He left to his study after that, and that's when mom's waterworks started.
"Do not loose yourself. Your father still isn't the same man as he was before his Showdown," she tells me as if it will make a difference.
"Thanks mom," I give her a hug and leave with Enobaria.
~flashback over~
"I never said goodbye to my sisters," I mumble to myself.
Their names are Nike (28 years old) and Nyx (24 years old). They are both victors. Nike won when she was just 14 and Nyx won at 16.
Nike volunteered before the appointed volunteer had a chance, it was quite a scandle and no one knew her motives until her victory interview. She said, "I wanted to prove to the girls in my class year that the Newman family was not to be messed with and toughness is in our blood. They always called me a "goodie two-shoes". I was sick of it and now I am back. I apologize for taking the tribute spot from older girls, and I am ready for any punishment I must endure." No one punished her because she brought pride and honor to the district, her punishment would have been to die in the arena.
My father always took her with him everywhere he went, at the time I though it was for her protection, but I later found out it was because she was bored everywhere she was supposed to be and as the youngest victor in District 2, she got what she wanted.
Nyx on the other hand, always strove to be better than the guys and wanted the glory on her own accord, not because she was a Newman. She was chosen by the council to volunteer as tribute and that was the end of that. No one interfered with her volunteering because they knew if they came back they would have hell to pay. She won her games and now I am a part of a family with a long list of glory.
"Cato! Wake up!" Enobaria hisses as we arrive at the train station.
The train is already waiting for us, but it isn't the normal trains or even a tribute train for that matter. There are faces painted on the train with numbers on their cheeks. That's when I see my father's face with a 2 on it. I will bring back glory and I will not disgrace the Newman name.
"Cato! Are you listening?" Enobaria says frustratedly. I am not starting this trip off right...
As we board she informs me that it is a champion train and it has only ever been ridden by athletes and champions.
"District 1 has two athletes and they are down the hall. If you decide to take a nap, I will come wake you when we arrive to Canada," she motions me in the direction of the athlete carts as she walks in the opposite direction.
When I arrive to the athlete carts, I see we will be living family style. The beds are resting on top of storage closets that contain weeks of clothing for various occasions as well as a ladder on the front doors so we can climb to our beds. Since the beds are lined along both walls touching each other on the long sides, I count six on each side of the cart for a total of 12. And with two carts, I guess my athlete team consists of 24...
As I further inspect the living accommodations, I notice the areas are labeled. I am next to K. Everdeen and the wall.
I climb onto my bed and begin to wonder about my sisters again.
Nike got married to the weapons director of District 2, I don't even know his name. It doesn't matter though because she lets me go see the weapons lab on my break days or if I am nursing an injury. I really should talk to her more.
Nyx was named after the Greek goddess of darkness, and that is exactly what she is. I never know when I am going to see her next because of her work. I don't know what she does, but she is very good at keeping her work life away from the family. We are really close and talk as if we see each other all the time. One time she told me she travels a lot, now I am beginning to wonder if she travels to other countries...
Just as I come to this thought I am interrupted by one of the District 1 tributes.
"Hey man! I'm Kratos, Kratos King," he says this as if I should know the name, "Your dad is a champion, right? Did he tell you any secrets about this "Global Showdown"?"
"No," I say blankly. I don't like this guy already.
"That's cool man. That's Annsling," he points across the room to a sleeping figure I hadn't noticed before, "my sister."
Ha. So this guy is already setting rules for me to break. Game on.
Just then the train comes to a stop and I roll into the wall.
"Must be District 3," Kratos states, "So are you alone from you district?"
"Yeah," What does this guy want?
"Cool, cool," Right before Kratos starts talking again, the door opens to the cart.
"Thank god," I mumble to myself under my breath.
Three girls walk in with the most toned arms I have ever seen on a chick. I open my mouth to speak and Kratos is already running his mouth.
"King, Kratos King," he states with an obnoxiously toothy grin. I start laughing harder than expected and jump down.
I out stretch a hand while introducing myself, "Hi, I'm Cato Newman." When I shake the last one's hand, I give them my signature smirk and all three look as if they melted inside. Ha, take that Kratos.
The train is already moving by the time Kratos sorms away towards the food cart.
"So, are the beds labeled?" one of them asks, probably because they want to sleep because it is still really early.
"Yeah. And there is another room," I point over my shoulder to the door behind me. The thank me and a little while after they enter, I hear one of them groan because she is next to Kratos. Sucks.
I guess the rides are getting shorter because we arrive at 4 way sooner than I expected.
District 4 had two guys shorter than me but still considered tall and Finnick Odair?
The District 4 tributes tell me that he was a champion, and then won the Hunger Games because he was bored and still of age. I secretly envied him for that, it would bring immense honor to my family and my father would be so proud.
The next districts blurr by:
District 5: no athletes
District 6: 1 girl and 2 guys
District 7: 3 guys
District 8: 1 girl and 1 guy
District 9: 3 guys
District 10: 2 guys
District 11: 2 girls
We arrive at 12 and the bed next to me is the only one not claimed. Great. But if they are good enough to be an athlete, then I'll give them a chance. The team seems to be stacked with guys, so I have no idea if my new neighbor is a girl or a guy.
I am standing in front of my bed and talking to one of the guys from 4, Griffinn, when she walks on.
K. Everdeen is all I know about her other than District 12. She is the hottest girl on this train and she is sleeping next to me every night.
"Everdeen!" I shout over the noise, forgetting I was just talking to Griffinn. She looks at me puzzled but still approaches.
"How do you know my name?"
"Your bed is right here."
Just then I see she has noticed the name tags, "Good deduction skills," she says sarcastically while rolling her eyes.
Finally, a challenge! Forget about Annsling, I am going after one K. Everdeen. Griffinn walks away to his bed leaving just me and Everdeen to talk. I need a first name.
"So are you going to tell me your first name or do I need to come up with a nickname?" I say seductively while sprawled out on my bed as she climbs up after me.
"Guess," she says challengingly.
I like her spirit. "K, hmm... Katie? Katharine? Khloe? Kim?"
She starts laughing and says I'm never going to guess it.
"I guess I'll just have to come up with a nickname then. How about I say, 'Hey beautiful' and you blush? Then greet me by saying something like, 'It's an honor to be in your presence Cato. You truly are a gift from the Gods'," I say while raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not really the blushing type. Looks like you'll have to come up with something else."
Damn. She has more than spirit, she has fire.
"Okay firegirl. I guess we'll have to figure something out," I say hoping to keep the conversation going.
"Katniss. The K stands for Katniss."
"It's too long. Can I call you Kat?"
"Only if I can call you Catie," She says with a confidence that makes me want to know more.
"That's longer than Cato..."
"Yeah, I know." She jumps off her bed and exits the cart.