AUTHOR'S NOTE: Even in this alternate universe where the 2nd rebellion never happened, Katniss Everdeen still exists and actually still managed to win a Hunger Games. However, She and the stories behind her and her 'games are not terribly important to this plot, so don't think about them too hard.

CHAPTER 4: Into the Capitol

Maybe it was because of his nap, but Wes found himself unable to sleep for a while after he had dressed for bed and climbed in. The bed itself was more comfortable than anything he had ever slept on in his life, and he had heard that the amenities in the apartments they would be staying in were even better than the train, which made sense. He opened the window and still saw the desolate landscape whiz past him as they soared towards the Capitol at remarkable speeds. Wes had no idea how trains worked, but knew that this was the work of District 6 for sure.

He grabbed a remote on a nearby nightstand, and flipped on the TV that was on the wall across from the bed. There wasn't much to watch, but those who were not squeamish could rewatch old footage of the Hunger Games to observe different arena possibilities or behaviors of tributes. It was not exactly a delightful thing to watch, but there was something to be gained from it all.

He watched Vigo's Hunger Games, and saw him and that girl from District 2 square off. She brandished a pair of hammers, while all Vigo had was a handaxe. They fought, with the smaller boy taking the defensive for a while and acting weak and exhausted, while in reality, he was looking for an opening and stalling in the meantime. When he found on, he landed the axe in her chest, dropping her into the river, which strangely did not seem to be flowing as wildly as it had been moments before.

Wes jumped backwards to another game a few years earlier, where District 12's other victor had been crowned the victor—the 3rd Quarter Quell. The twist that year had been that the tributes selected were between the ages of 17 and 25. District 12 had shone this year, where ironically, the victor it produced was a girl of 17 who had volunteered no less. As Wes saw her in action, he remembered clearly who this was. Some called her "Black Death" because of the clothes she wore and because of how lethal she had been during the games. Disappearing into the dense foliage of that year's arena, this Katniss Everdeen essentially went around sniping tributes with a powerful bow, and did so more or less with impunity. She was good—very good. Wes sort of wished she had come with them, but he would make do with Vigo for now. The man knew what he was doing after all, having emerged from the 'games alive himself.

Watching both Vigo and Katniss win a Hunger Games took a good couple of hours, and he only watched the highlights of each one, before he drifted off. Capitol Technology was good enough that a few minutes after Wes was asleep the TV shut itself off to prevent waking him up with the sounds of Hunger Games footage. It was a bit ironic—the Capitol cared everything for their tributes, pampering them and catering to their every need and (reasonable) whim, up until they were thrown into the arena. From then on out, they were on their own. They did love their victors though.

Surprisingly, he felt awake and refreshed when he woke up the next morning. Now that it was morning, he decided to look around at the once dark room that was now lit up with the rays of sun. It was a cozy little place with its own private washroom, and upon further examination, he noticed it even had a shower. Well, he figured that if he was going to appear in front of Capitol citizens even for a brief period of time as he and his team walked from the train to the Tribute Tower, that he might as well at least look and smell presentable, instead of like dirt and game like many District 12 tributes did, especially those who snuck out and hunted at nights.

Wes stripped down and tried out the shower. Moments later his body was covered with a variety of colorful substances that amused and intrigued him. He knew they were not toxic or harmful, because they wouldn't booby trap the tributes like that.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the weird colorful shower and dried off, smelling and feeling much cleaner and better. His skin was a little bit lighter, although more than that, was no longer spotted with dirt. He found some new and comfortable clothes in the dresser and put them on. Other than their cleanliness, they looked just like the kind of attire one would find in District 12. That was mighty convenient in his opinion.

Now clean and dressed, Wes stepped out into the hall towards the dining car to go get some breakfast. He wondered if Ava was up, but her absence at the table meant she was still sleeping. It did feel a bit early, but there was Junichi all fully dressed in those dark blues again. He wondered how long it took her to get ready in the mornings, but didn't bother asking.

"Top of the morning to you," she beamed. "You figured out the showers correctly, it looks like."

"I did," Wes chuckled, and paused as he heard a shriek of surprise. Moments later, Ava stumbled out of her room wearing a towel and dripping wet.

"How the HELL do those showers work?" she stammered, "Why is everything purple?"

"That's normal, Ava," Wes laughed, "relax."
She shook her head, blushing behind her dark-skinned face and disappeared back into her room.

"Good show." Vigo quipped, referring to her reaction rather than state of undress.

"I'll say," Wes agreed, "okay, I admit that it made me jump a little when I first saw it, but after I realized that it wasn't flesh-eating acid, I decided it was fine."

"Well," Junichi piped up, "you best be getting some breakfast soon. We shall be arriving in the Capitol within the next hour or so."

Wes filled his plate without hesitation, eating his fill for one of the first times in his life. He was joined by a messy-haired but clean and dressed Ava a few minutes later, who quietly ate alongside him. The back of Wes' mind was preoccupied with concern for his sister. Of the two, he was obviously the larger and stronger one, and he had a bit more charm than her too. She was not much of a talker, and the Capitol found it hard to relate with tributes who could not at least be appealing in one way or another. Quiet ones could get away with showing off combat abilities, and sometimes even if one did not do well with weapons, their charm and good looks could earn them enough sponsorship gifts to pull out a win.

It was for these reasons that he feared for Ava. She wouldn't stand a chance, he was pretty sure. He knew that he could not ever fully abandon his sister, but he decided that he wanted to watch out more for himself in the 'games, so that their mother could at least see one of her children again.

"Ah, there it is!" Junichi sighed happily, glancing out the window. Wes and Ava both turned around and saw the monstrously sprawling Capitol for the first time. Admittedly, they were in awe at the size and beauty of the place, even if it represented their oppression.

The siblings were transfixed by it until the train gradually pulled to a stop. This was the point of no return. Once they stepped off that train, the Capitol would get their first view of this year's tributes from District 12.

"Chins up; smiles on;" Junichi beamed. "This is where you make your first impressions. Try to wave; be friendly." It was easier said than done, Wes thought. He was pretty sure that Ava was just as anxious about the whole thing as he was.

They stepped off the train and into the bright light of the Capitol afternoon. There were enthusiastic cheers and chants, even for District 12, which was still often considered the laughingstock of Panem. Shyly, Wes and Ava smiled and waved a little, glancing on either side of them as they made their way to the Tribute Tower. Once they were inside, Jun explained that this would be where they lived for the next week or so during training. Both siblings leaned against the wall of the elevator as it went up—neither one had ridden an elevator before; it did give them something of motion sickness.

When they got to the apartment, they once again found themselves awestruck at how much more magnificent it was than anything back home.

"Well…" the escort beamed at them. "Make yourselves at home."
Ava nodded and took to one of the sofas, kicking off her shoes and stretching her bare feet in the process. Wes sat down near her, although stayed silent, still trying to take everything in. 24 hours ago he had been stepping up to the stage after hearing his and his sister's name called. Now, here he was in the Capitol itself, basking in its splendor as they prepped him up to become a murderer. Frankly, it felt more surreal than anything else, and he was still unable to wrap his mind around it all…