Chapter 3: Early Afternoon of the First Day: 68 Hours Remain

A/N: I do not own the concept of the Hunger Games. I do however, own these characters. This applies to all chapters concerning this tale.

Bubbles spun back and used his staff to block the entire hallway and stuck it at such an angle that it would not move. Indigo cleared the staff with a quick and well-timed jump and continued to run, taking ragged breaths. The deadly saw was jammed perfectly. I made the turnoff and poked my head around the corner. Finny whizzed by and Bubbles close after. Indigo and Faorin made it! Everyone collapsed in the great hall of the castle. It seemed to be a dining hall, with long wooden tables and benches, a high ceiling like a parabolic curved triangle, and an empty throne at the far end. Colorful banners, masterpiece textile work, hung on nearly every inch of wall space not occupied by paintings.

"Why?" Faorin wheezed as soon as enough air entered her lungs to function enough to speak. "Why did you sacrifice your weapons and potentially your lives to save me?" Bubbles only shrugged.

"Because you can't just give up like that," Indigo coughed. "Just because you could see what happens doesn't mean you can't change it. You've proven that by saving my life before, haven't you? Besides, we can just make another trip to the armory for weapons. Every weapon you can imagine is there." Indigo is right. The future can be changed…maybe even mine.

"Why don't we take shifts to go in pairs and camp in the main hall in the meantime?" I suggested. All things considering, this would be an easy place to defend. It would be hard to launch a sneak attack and there are plenty of places to duck and cover. "Indigo, go with Faorin to the armory and we'll stay here and keep a guard. Bubbles will keep us safe." Indigo gave a wary glance to us and stood up, holding a hand out to Faorin to help her up. She took it gratefully; after all, her hand was trembling more than an autumn leaf on the breeze. They left us in silence, which Finny decided to break.

"Uh, Bubbles…I have a stupid question," he awkwardly started, attempting to make conversation with the 6'5", stoic enigma. "Why is your name Bubbles?" He sighed and blushed ever so slightly, like he really did not want to answer that. It's okay, I will!

"I started calling him that, so everyone else did," I simply stated. "His actual name is this really long string of numbers and stuff-"

"AbX32o1-999," Bubbles dully finished. "In our District, when a child is born, the father goes to a computer and inputs the child's name and sex into the system. My father was drunk." The musical tone in his voice was dark, like he was really bitter it. I would be if I were him.

"So since that's a mouthful, I started calling him Bubbles and now everyone else does, too!" I excitedly explained. It's because of after chariots Bubbles was playing with a bubble blower that some Capitol boy gave him when I asked him what his name was. So I decided to give him that nickname, and what do you know, it stuck. Although to have a name of a string of letters and numbers…that has to suck.

"Oh um…wow," Finny could only say with surprise. We sat there in silence a while longer until Finny piped up again. "I never met my father." His voice was so meek; like he's afraid to speak his mind for some reason… "I've always heard he was a good man though." I recalled when the Capitol transported someone from District 4 to educate us on the finer points of working with rope. He had used video clips from prior Hunger Games: especially ones with Finnick Odair.

"You look a lot like him," I added. His hair is definitely darker than his father's, probably from his mother, but his eyes are the same ageless sea-green color. He seemed to zone out a bit and stared unseeingly into the air, deep in thought. "My dad died when I was younger." Finny snapped his gaze back towards me in surprise. "He was big, warm, and kind. He had a much better job than mom, so when he passed we had to move to the poor side of the District. Mom had to do desperate things to keep us both alive..." She had to shave her head and sell her hair a few times, she lost a few teeth and sold those, and did some filthy things for my benefit, and for that, and I will unerringly respect her because of it.

"How did he pass?" Finny asked gently. Images flashed through my mind like sketched lighting strikes. Men in white uniforms, my mother screaming, the accepting look on my father's face, and the unmistakable sound of a gunshot reverberating through the air momentarily paralyzed me, but I shook it off. It isn't real, it isn't real. It is in the past. What is done, is done.

"He…was involved in some bad stuff. Someone had seen him and told a higher-up. Mom later told me he was a Resistance leader in our District," I let the explanation hang in the air while Finnian could only stare at me with wide eyes and Bubbles with a mildly sympathetic expression. In order to distract myself from newly unsealed hollowness, I twirled my new weapons about my middle finger aimlessly and mock-stabbed at opponents, mulling over everything that's happened in this Game and in my own past.

Then it hit me. A peculiar epiphany hit me like a brick to the back of the head. I could sense my eyes widening and my breath catching in my throat in shock. Finnian suddenly looked at me in concern. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Finny," I breathlessly managed. "It's been so quiet." He stared at me, utterly baffled at why that was shocking me. "What's missing? What's in every Hunger Games that hasn't sounded once?" He stared at me, equal parts shock and amazement within his sea-green eyes.

"The cannon shots," he whispered. Bubbles immediately looked over at us, eyebrows raised. "But…."

"It's been about four and a half hours, and there are still 24 tributes? Impossible, Finny," I conspiratorially scoffed. "And it doesn't make sense with something I overheard, either." All of a sudden, footstep echoes pounded down the cool stone hallways. Indigo and Faorin appeared, carrying weapons actively and red-faced, like they had just talked about something they really did not want to discuss beforehand.

"Bubbles, Caeda, Finny," Indigo called over in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Why don't we all go to the armory together?" It was an odd suggestion…did something happen that made them feel awkward while they were together getting weapons? Nevertheless, I hopped off of the mahogany table and jogged over to them. Finny and Bubbles both walked. Talk about a lack of energy. I don't understand why they would act so sluggish and lethargic; the conversations had while Indigo and Faorin were gone were rather depressing, but you need to be on your toes! These are the Hunger Games! Anything can happen, anytime, anywhere.

"What happened?" I curiously inquired to Indigo. He mumbled something I couldn't hear. "What was that?" He just glared at me, obviously discomposed about something. He looked up ahead and froze. The armory is only ten feet ahead, I don't understand-

"Go!" He hissed. "Run! Now!" Completely bewildered, we made a mad dash for the door and Indigo shoved a bookcase conveniently next to the door over the empty doorway. "Why did we knock the door down again?" he sighed rhetorically.

"Bubbles, you should grab a staff quickly," Faorin suggested with a worried tone. I could swear the brand on her eye was glowing just a little… Bubbles managed to snag an off-white staff that looked very weighty and shined like it had been recently polished, much like a precious stone.

"What do you see?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. I know, I know, curiosity killed the cat. Yet satisfaction brought it back, so I decided to query anyways. She frowned.

"You wouldn't believe it but, a giant mutant bird is sticking its long neck through the closest window and is trying to kill us," she stated, obviously bewildered. "This bookcase should hold it back though." At that moment, the bookcase shattered into a thousand pieces, books flying everywhere and knocking random assorted weapons over in a thunderous crash, and showing us the bird's head alone, which was the size of the doorway. Its facial plumage was bright blue and red, and it had a fanged, curved beak. When it squawked, its cry sounded like nails on a chalkboard intensified greatly and its pupils shrunk to nothing more than slits as it sighted us. Clearly it was hostile, and looking to us for a meal.

Bubbles proceeded to smash the heavy stave into the bird's face. Only now do I realize it was a carved ivory staff. I remember when dad told me a story about creatures called elephants with huge ivory tusks that could be fashioned into all sorts of useful things. And how they were extinct because of something that wasn't their fault, it was just part of them. The crack that sounded seemed to indicate broken bones or cartilage. The avian screeches and lunges for him, but misses. Its neck won't stretch any farther, luckily. The bird's beady eyes target me with murderous flames clearly visible in its eyes. By some kind of reflex I sidestepped.

And I drove both of my needle-like daggers into the bird's massive eye.

"Caeda?!" Indigo could only shout in surprise and shock at the dark blood, spurting out of the avian creature's eye. It was so simple…it was like using a needle to pop a balloon. Well, two needles, but it helped me realize something. I can be useful. I can make a difference. I might even live through this ordeal…just maybe.

Just maybe. It's the only semblance of hope I can grasp. The bird spasmed in pain and I could only watch as Bubbles shoves a bookcase on top of its long feathered neck. It can't move under the weight and slowly begins to suffocate. Only a minute or so passes until the monstrosity finally settles down and dies. Everyone, AbX32o1-999, Indigo, Faorin, and Finnian, stared at me with wide eyes.

"Caeda, that was," Indigo attempted to manage, "beautifully executed." It felt like time slowed down even, but I wouldn't say it was particularly graceful.

"Nice job," Bubbles gruffly mumbled with an extremely faint ghost of a smile. Was he…proud of me? Bubbles said rarely anything to anyone, yet he sparingly used words to give me praise. I couldn't help but smile upon realizing this.

"You handled it like it was nothing," Faorin praised, "I could never do that in a million years." Of course she could, especially when she can see the future and change it.

"I never knew you could fight," Finny attempted to sound awed and respectful, but really only sounded halfhearted and kind of terrified. He was trembling like a leaf. I finally was able to confirm my suspicions.

"Finny," I softly said, "You can't kill anything, can you?" He looked up at me with guilt written across his face. He shook his head, confirming my speculation.

"How could you?" he weakly answered with his own question. "I thought you were like me. I thought I wasn't alone." I stared at him pityingly. He's never had to face such a choice. I swallowed, becoming aware of all eyes and ears paying attention to me. Me, Caeda Diapason, the little girl from District 8. Me, the harmless one, who should go down faster than a stack of cards. Me, who killed a bird muttation the size of a building.

"Finny," I started, keeping my voice as level as possible. "The night they took my dad away, they didn't just take him away." He stared at me, unable to comprehend what I was insinuating. "They gave me a semi-automatic rifle loaded with a full cartridge. They said to do what they said or I would die along with my mother. My dad told me to do it. My mom pleaded I didn't. I had to choose."

I could feel the tension in the room building, as eyes widened and stared at me unbelieving in a new light.

"They forced me to kill him."

Well then. I was incredibly excited to write this chapter! Let me know how you enjoyed it! I consider this one a downtime chapter. But it illuminates the stories of my ever-lovely characters who I have lovingly crafted landfills of backstory for. Each and every one. Yeah.

By the way, there's a little name clarification I want to address. Faorin's name is pronounced (pardon my inability to properly express these) Fow (as in ow! referring to pain, with an F at the beginning) -rihn. And Caeda's name is pronounced Kay-da. Her last name is pronounced Dye-uh-pay-zun.

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

-Legend