Survival of the Fittest
So I know this story has started off slowly, meandering a little as I rediscover the young, 'innocent' versions of the characters. It's actually far harder writing the romance this time around, because for years I've been writing them as an established couple.
I have to keep reminding myself that they are still young, strangers, although this time they are able to pursue the obvious attraction between them without the fear of having to kill each other.
Things will be picking up after this chapter, as everything goes to hell in a hand-basket.
I hope you enjoy.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Chapter 9
Everyone is quiet as the day begins.
We're all acutely aware of the absence of the Careers. Normally they are the louder, more rambunctious ones. Their confidence and nonchalance give us all the confidence to be nonchalant, but without them everyone seems to be on anxious edge.
It's day 3 of the Games, and so far only two Tributes have died. Yesterday consisted of fortifying and base building… and all I can think of is Finnick's voice telling me about the Games.
"The primary function of the Games is to subjugate the Districts," he'd told me, bright eyes fixed on mine, "But the primary concern of the Game Makers will be one thing, Entertainment. If the Games aren't exciting, people in the Capitol won't watch, won't Sponsor. They need the involvement of the Sponsors to keep this wheel turning...they can't afford a boring Quarter Quell. If you aren't supplying the entertainment….the Game Makers will. And it won't be pleasant."
Something will happen today, of that I am certain.
I visit the guards in the towers, and then meet with Thresh.
"How are our defenses?"
"Good," is his steady response, "But not great."
"Weapons?"
"Minimal."
I wince, and rub a hand through my hair, "Escape contingencies?" He blinks at me and I sigh softly, "We don't have any do we?"
He shakes his head.
Well that definitely has to change.
"Call a meeting," I consider the Gates, "Everyone who isn't on Watch right now. We'll meet in an hour."
"We can't just hole up in here and hope to survive," I inform the group of people sitting in front of me, seeing a lot of young, frightened faces, "We have to be prepared, we have to have plans in place."
"Who died and made you leader?" The boy from 9 speaks up, arms folded as he considers me.
"Shut up," Zara hisses in his direction.
"I'm not the leader," I remind them quietly, "If anyone are, it's Katniss and Cato. But they're out there...in danger right now. And we can't just wait and hope they survive."
"What do you know though?" The boy from 10 asks quietly, shrugging apologetically as Zara turns his glare from 9 to him, "Sorry...but I just...we don't know anything."
"Thresh is the strongest," 9 continues, emboldened by what he sees as support, "He should be the Leader. AND he's not a Career."
There are some murmurs of support, and I glance worriedly at my partner. Thresh's face is stony as he stares at 9. His name comes to me in a flash and I step forward, drawing eyes again.
"Neem." I raise a hand, "I understand your concerns, but trying to divide everyone isn't going to help…"
Neem glares and folds his arms, "I speak the truth." he declares and I feel my gut sinking, so much for Cato's faith in my so called "leadership" abilities. He's going to come back and find a mutiny in progress, "Those Careers," he sneers the word, and I feel my back bristle, "Do you really think any of them will really stick their neck out for one of us? Do you really think any of them would risk their own hides to save any of us?"
I think uneasily back to the conversation with the Careers the night before last.
"I know who I'll prioritise," Cato said, and now here were the other Tributes, thinking about the same questions, and unfortunately coming up with the same answers.
Tributes glance at each other, fear starting to grow and spread between them.
"We're still safer with them though, right?" The girl from 7 asks quietly, her face determined, "They can fight better. We're better off with them."
"Then where are they?" Neem, spreads his arms, and I rub my forehead, "Mmmm? Where are they? I'll tell you. They've left us."
"No they haven't," Thresh rumbles, "We need supplies."
"We have enough though right," Adeline, from 3, speaks up, voice shaking a little with fear, "Right, Sky?"
All the eyes turn to me and I sigh softly.
"No."
Thresh speaks the word and there's silence for one terrible moment before suddenly everyone is speaking, panic spreading like wildfire.
I watch, feeling dumb and slow, struggling to think of something to say that will stop this unfolding. But in the end help comes from an unlikely source.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Little Zara, jumps to her feet, shouting the words at the top of her lungs, shocking everyone into silence for a few precious seconds, "What's wrong with you?" he gestures in my direction, "Sky is the one who thought up this Alliance! She's the one who thought all of us banding together would give us more of a chance! She wasn't thinking of the Careers! They had their own pack, and didn't need us, but she organised for all of us to work together."
"Katniss did that." Someone mutters in the crowd and Zara glares in that direction.
"No she d-d-didn't" a very quiet voice stutters from the side, and everyone looks at the very white, very nervous Enbrin, "S-S-S-Sky was the one who had the id-id-idea."
"He's right." Thresh folds his arms, "You're all here and safe, because of Sky. So I suggest you do her the courtesy of listening. Or else, you and your partner are free to leave."
He stares down Neem.
An ugly silence follows where the boy from 9 looks around, hoping for support, but the brief flash of resistance seems to have faded and no one meets his eyes. Slowly, sullenly, he sits again.
Thresh nods, turning to me, clearly satisfied as Zara also takes her seat, still pink but pleased, but I'm not so sure. Neem is going to hold on to his resentment, and it's going to cause problems if it's not dealt with. But calling him out now will only cause more issues, so I let it go.
"We can't forget that this is a Hunger Games." I say quietly, moving forward, "Yes, there is a lot different. We're working together instead of killing each other. But there are a great many things out there that will try to kill us instead. We have to survive, but we have to remember that it will never be easy."
It's a show, I think, and a show requires entertainment, suspense, high stakes, drama….and tragedy.
"We probably won't all survive, it's just a fact. But we're going to try and keep as many of us alive as possible, you have my word. And how we do that is by being prepared, being ready for anything."
I glance at Thresh and he nods approvingly.
"How?" Rue asks, and I see her smiling shyly, pleased that everyone's calmed down.
"We try to prepare for every eventuality." I nod and gesture at the blank wall, holding up a piece of charcoal, "Things that can go wrong, and ways we can stop it, or ways we can handle it if it does happen. For instance, the Careers are currently out at the Cornucopia," gasps rise from the group, "Because we need weapons, food and water purifying tablets, as well as backpacks and other supplies."
"We have to be mobile." Thresh speaks up, firm and unyielding and once again I'm so grateful to have him at my back, "This place may fall."
"At the very least we're going to have to field off massive attacks," I remind them, keeping my voice calm and soothing, "At the worst we'll go back on the run. So we need to plan. We need to practice, both defending, and also evacuating in the case of disaster."
Murmurs around the group, and I'm relieved to see heads nodding.
"So. Ideas?" I hold up the piece of charcoal again, and smile as hands lift eagerly, "Calla, you first."
The Careers return at sunset.
I'm pacing in the open car lot when one of the lookouts, whistles sharply, signalling that he sees the vehicles approaching, and I set of at a sprint.
Adeline is opening the Gate when I get to the front and watch the vehicles slowly pull in. The truck and people mover have been joined by a blocky, square shaped car in pale blue, and a motorbike zips in last.
I hurry forward as people clamber out of the cars and a quick headcount reveals that everyone has returned, much to my relief, although not unscathed.
Most of the party have deep slashing scratches marring their skin, and fresh bruises showing through torn holes in clothing. They're all in good spirits though, and come bearing supplies.
Marvel is the one to slide off the Motorbike, grinning broadly as he does, hair ruffled wildly as he shakes Thresh's hand.
Adeline and Keran are hugging, and Enbrin joins them, clinging to Keran tightly.
Clove and Teesa trot off to the building, arms around each other, and both carrying bags full of what appear to be weapons.
Katniss and Peeta come straight to me, and I hug them both tightly, smiling as Peeta hugs me back and Katniss gives me an awkward little head pat.
"What happened out there?" I ask, pulling back to smile up at them, "Looks like you were successful!"
"Yeah," Peeta nods, pleased, "Food, weapons, water purifying tablets… hell Keran even dug up those little landmines next to the starting blocks.
"What?" I stare at him and then over at Keran, "Landmines?"
Katniss nods too.
"Explosives will be very handy. All his idea too…"
"Come on," Peeta tugs me towards the building, giving me a bag to carry, and I follow along, glancing back only once to see Cato standing by the truck, talking quietly with Darrien, eyes on me.
"I hear you had a bit of a mutiny here today," Darrien's arm slings around my shoulder as I sort out backpacks, and I shoot him a small grin, before turning back to my task, "You okay?"
"Fine," I brush some hair out of my eyes, "They're just frightened. Understandably."
"Mmm.." he sits beside me and turns my chin to face him, blue eyes serious and kind, "Sky…"
"What?" I try to shrug him off, but as always with Darrien, I don't quite manage it, "I'm fine."
"I know you are." He cups my cheeks, "But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt...or scare you."
"I'm not a baby." I remind him, and am rewarded by a soft, exasperated sigh, "I'm not."
"You think I don't know that?" He laughs softly, "You're my best friend, I know you better than I know myself. You're stubborn, and gentle, and soft hearted...you can't tell me that today didn't rattle you."
Slowly I lean into him and rest my head on his shoulder. He smiles softly and kisses my forehead.
I don't have to answer him.
He already knows.
He always does.
"Can't sleep?"
Cato's voice is soft, the only sound audible in the quiet night air as I sit on the roof of the station, looking out at the ruined city.
I turn and look at him, giving him a small smile as he walks over to join me.
"No. You?"
"No." he agrees, and sits down beside me.
The two of us watch the lookouts, and the silent city for long moments before Cato speaks.
"We're going to be attacked tomorrow."
I look at him in shock, mouth opening slightly in surprise before his words completely sink in.
"What?"
"If we're lucky it will be the day after...but chances are it will be tomorrow."
"How do you…" my voice trails off and I realise that he's been thinking like I have.
About the entertainment factor.
"You think they need excitement."
He nods, those intense blue eyes on mine, "They need some deaths."
I swallow, "Should we tell the others?"
"No…" he looks out at the city again, "Let them rest."
I nod, and stare at the gate. Somehow I'd already known. I'd always known.
"This is what it means to be a leader." Cato's voice is soft, and I glance at him once more. He's watching me again, but this time his face is sad, "But you already knew that…"
"I'm not a leader." I whisper back, and he smiles slightly, reaching out to curl a strand of my dirty hair around one finger.
"You're a different kind of leader. And we'll need you before the end."
We stare at each other, faces close, only the darkness between us, faint reflections gleaming in his eyes.
The moment is charged, full of something...anticipation maybe. Tingling in the air….
"Sky…" he breathes.
"Cato!"
We sit up sharply, the moment fracturing around us, and we look around as Peeta barrels through the door, face pale with anxiety.
"There's a horde approaching!"
And down below, all the Lookouts begin to bang the metal sheets hung up for them. Sounding the warning.
Cato looks at me, face hard and stony.
"You have those emergency backpacks ready?"
I nod and he smiles slightly, turning to Peeta, "Go with Sky, give everyone a bag and pack the rest into the cars. Make sure both of you get a weapon."
"Cato." Katniss calls from down below and he waves at her, before turning back to us,
"I want both of you to stay away from the fighting. Stay by the cars. Be ready to bail...if you need to."
"If you die, I'll die." Peeta reminds him, and Cato's face twists, hand gripping the back of Peeta's neck gently, needing the reassurance, "My place is with you."
Finally Cato nods, and Peeta smiles, hurrying to the stairs. We follow, Cato's hand firm around my arm, "Find Thresh, tell him to stay near you. Make sure the babies are ready.
I shoot him an exasperated look, as we run out of the station into the yard and see the monsters approaching.
The numbers are indescribable.
Cato's mouth is grim as he turns to me and my stomach sinks.
"Get the packs and the others into the cars. I don't think we're going to win this one…"
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: Everything goes to hell...People Die...The group are separated and danger looms.
