"Natalia Romanova!" calls the skinny man on the podium. I step up onto the stage and quickly say, "I accept my placement as Victor."

Because in District 2, someone else will almost always volunteer for you, and I need to be in the Hunger Games. I need to win the Hunger Games, because I need to get out of here. My family were quarry workers, so there's no way I'll be able to get out of the hole they've dug themselves into except for this one bid.

Several people groan, and I see a few other girls glaring at me. It doesn't bother me too much. The boy steps onto the stage- I've never seen him before. He's only about sixteen, but big, with spiky dark hair, and since nobody groans when he accepts his placement I figure he must be someone to watch out for. Brock Rumlow, I think his name was.

"Call me Natasha," I say to Augustus- the escort. His skin is covered in metallic scales and his ears are sharpened to points. I wonder how he can still see with the light glancing off his skin. Brock doesn't talk at all as we are led back into the Justice Building. He must be going for an intimidating look- it works for him since he's bigger than I am. I prefer to go small and unnoticed. And I'm certainly not planning to form any alliances- or maybe a small one, and when we get moved to the second arena I'll kill the others. Easy.


The girl with the curly red hair disappears into the Justice Buiding and I go on to recapping District One. Clearly, my mentor's not going to be much help, so I've started taking notes of the opposition as the train speeds towards the Capitol. This is the biggest television I've ever seen, and the food's good too. I'm on my third sandwich.

Twins from 12, one who was reaped and one who volunteered. A boy and a girl. I think their last name is Maximoff or something.

Eleven's tributes look half-starved, and one of them's only twelve or so. The boy's name is Sam, I think.

Ten has a girl who snarls into the camera and a boy about the size of an ox- and the mentor goes crazy on stage and has to be dragged off.

Nine's tributes didn't stand out too much- a girl named Jean something and a boy named Scott.

Eight, the fabrics district, doesn't seem like much of a threat either. As the first district to revolt, they've had shortages for the past few decades, and no victors.

Seven is my district, logging. I made a note of our names anyway- Clint Barton. Jane Foster, who loves the stars. She's been crying in her compartment for a few hours now.

District Six's male tribute apparently lost a brother to the Hunger Games a few years ago. Sad.

Five has a young guy with curly dark hair and bright green eyes. His eyes look like they glow when the camera hits them, and when I rewind the tape I can see that they actually do light up for a second. Maybe there's something wrong with him.

Four's Careers are Maria and Phil, neither bulky but both radiating confidence.

Three, the technology district, has a fidgety guy with dark hair and a little stubble who waves to the cameras. The female tribute doesn't stand out very mch, but I do remember she had pointed features and a weird name. Pepper, I think.

District Two I just finished, Natalia/Natasha and Brock, and district One has a couple of Careers- I think the girl's name is Dottie but I'm not sure. I make a note to watch out for both of them right before Jane taps on my door.

"Clint." she says calmly, not meeting my eyes. "Papilion says it's time for dinner." Papilion is our escort, and his cheeks are pattered like butterfly wings- the orange and black Monarch butterflies that migrate overhead every year. His eyes are dark amber, and I'm not even sure he can see out of them. "Is Erik still asleep?"

"Yeah."