To Reach for Victory
Chapter 10

Disclaimer: This work of fan-fiction is not intended for personal profit. All characters utilized herein which are not creations of myself belong to Suzanne Collins.

I wake up the next morning, and while in the shower I think again about Tarsus. I've never seriously considered anyone else, but we did have an indirect talk about it once.

He had said, "Aurelius, you know they won't like seeing us two living together without wives and kids if we're not Victors."

Exasperatedly, I replied, "So we'll just get houses side by side or something. I'd probably have to marry someone out of the CEC anyway. Drusus's girlfriend at the Academy is an exception."

Tarsus had finished by saying, "Look, people overlook a lot in Careers training for the Games. But they'll overlook less when we're out of training. I don't mind having to … y'know, share you … when that has to happen."

As I towel myself off, I muse that Tarsus's ability to not hold a grudge really helped him. I'm not even sure how I would react seeing someone else kiss him. Would I be jealous? Resigned? I'd only know when it finally happens.

But I do know it means he probably would have been okay with Adria Adrastea's offer. After all, Tarsus isn't with me now. The novelty of the Capitol is slowly starting to wear off, and my focus is turning to other things.

There's training today, though, and Brutus and Lyme will want me to concentrate on that. When I step out of the shower I see that an outfit has been laid out for me on the bed. A folded note is on top, which reads:

"Wear this to training. – Brutus"

It's a slate-grey tank top, shorts and shoes: a typical all-purpose training outfit. It's not lost on me, though, that the tank top is skin-tight and shows off my chest and arm muscles. The shoes are good-quality running shoes.

To my surprise, as I'm about to head out the door, the man who served me wine last night is coming into the room. He gives me a nervous look, then slides past me to look around the room. Seeing my clothes from last night strewn on the floor, he picks them up and disappears back down the hallway and into the elevator before I even have time to ask what he's doing.

I shrug and go to the dining room. The servant woman's there again, and the tables are laden with breakfast foods. I decide to keep it light for training and only take scrambled eggs and toast, plus some coffee.

The sun's just starting to rise when Adria comes in, yawning. She's in a T-shirt and shorts, and her hair's brushed back instead of in a more elaborate style. She nods at me and gets her breakfast.

Shortly after that, Brutus and Lyme enter briskly, and in businesslike tones they bid us good mornings and get breakfast. Lyme decides on a strange mix of grain and stew, while Brutus takes some bread rolls.

In between bites, Lyme says, "Those outfits will be what you'll wear throughout training, so don't get any food on them. Now, there's something very important you two need to remember: do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone that District Two provides Peacekeepers. It's not something the Capitol wants generally known. Understand?"

I nod affirmatively and see Adria doing the same.

Brutus says, "As far as training goes, one thing you both need to do is assess your fellow tributes. Report back to us on your observations: are they generally unusually intelligent? Are they versatile with many different skills? Or are they largely average with a limited repertoire? These factors will guide us in deciding how to win the psychological edge against the other tributes. Additionally, assess their physical skills: are your fellow tributes stronger or weaker than you? We'll do the initial post-mortem after training, and go from there."

"Training won't start until ten A.M., anyway," says Lyme. "So take your time if you want, or you can go back to your rooms, or you can go downstairs now to meet your fellow tributes. That said—"

She looks for the remote control; the television's still in the room. She hits channel zero and notes the time: 07:15.

"It's probably too early yet, so I suggest going downstairs between eight and nine. Start getting to know the tributes from Districts One and Four," suggests Lyme.

I eat the last of my breakfast and finish my cup of coffee. I hesitantly say, "Brutus? What was that stuff Rhea tried to give us? I know it's probably out of line to ask—"

He cuts me off, saying, "One of you would have ended up asking. While we are much like the Capitol in some ways, there are, as you've discovered, some major differences as well. One of them is in food consumption habits. Let's just say that purging your stomach can be routine when large quantities are eaten, rather than only strictly ordered by doctors when medical emergencies call for it."

Adria's jaw drops in surprise, and I lean back in my chair in shock. I blurt, "Why would we eat all this delicious food and then… do that?" It's positively revolting.

Lyme gives me a warning look that makes me sit up straight and swallow nervously. I look down at the table, waiting for her to yell at me.

Lyme only says, "Aurelius, Adria, look at me." After I look at her face, she continues with the same steel in her voice that she used with Rhea. "You two have come here because there is no greater honor than to show that you can kill other people who are weaker than you. There is no greater honor than showing that District Two is the strongest and most capable of all. Never lose sight of that and do not question the Capitol again. It's not our place to question the Capitol. Ever."

She's right. I babble, "I'm sorry. I…"

"Enough," snaps Brutus. "You're a tribute, Aurelius. Start acting like one, or I'll have a hundred push-ups right now."

I sit up even straighter, putting my Success Mask expression on. In flat tones I reply, "Yes, sir."

"All right. Unless you're going to get seconds, I suggest you start getting ready for training. Remember, fighting other tributes is forbidden, so don't waste your energy trying to bait them. They'll be trying to bait you, so don't give them the chance. Understood?"

I nod curtly, then stand and leave for the elevator. Adria joins me and says, "You know, we've got time to look at the roof."

She's right. The time was 07:30 when we left, so there's still lots of time to kill. I regard her intently as I press the call button, but she's got her Success Mask on too.

Nobody else is on the elevator, and when we step out into the domed area protecting us from the outside elements, I'm amazed at the view. Tall spires, blinking lights, hovercars flying everywhere, the mountains on the horizon, even the way the bright blue sky seems subtly different from back home… I've got to see this better.

I step out of the dome and feel the crisp morning breeze. There's a railing that surrounds the roof; Adria joins me to admire the view of part of the City Circle. I marvel, "People look so tiny from up here!"

Adria smiles thinly, and reaches out over the railing, only to jerk back in shock. "Ow! Damn, I didn't think there'd be a force field!"

It makes sense, though; arenas have them, so why not other places? I guess it's to keep us safe. You could fall off by accident, and it's a long way down.

I say, "Hey. Your hand okay?"

Adria extends her hand, and I reach out to inspect it. Her hand seems undamaged from the force field. Suddenly, however, I realize I've been holding her hand longer than needed and abruptly let go. Adria's hand keeps gripping mine. She says in a low voice, "I think we've had enough hemming and hawing here. Me kissing you on the cheek last night might have been the wine talking, but I've thought about it and I probably would have done it eventually. So tell me, Aurelius – are you into me or not? If you are, then I know I haven't wasted my time."

I swallow nervously. "I don't have much experience with girls, but I know I'm interested in them as well as guys. And yeah, I've kinda noticed you're good-looking."

She lets go of my hand and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Glad to know my efforts haven't been wasted." She runs her hand down my arm before reaching up to scratch her head. A slight shiver goes up and down my spine at her touch.

"So, tell me about Aurelius Decker. We've got some time."

I banter back, "Only if I learn about Adria Adrastea."

Her smile's unguarded. "Oh, don't worry. We'll know about each other, all right."

/\/\/\

Adria's got a younger brother, Koen, who's just turned ten. She lives in a different village, so she has to wake up at dawn (or sometimes before dawn) to take the train to the CEC every morning, whereas I have to wake up and walk.

Her mother, Thera, and father, Blasios, are actually cousins and had the same last name. It's not illegal in Panem to marry your cousin, but it's not the norm either. That having been said, some families in Two are closer-knit than others. It does get complicated when she tries to work out if her twenty-year-old cousin Calypso is a first or second cousin.

Her father's a stone quarrier and her mother works in a supply shop for replacement parts for the equipment they use to dig out the stones.

I've told her about myself as well, and she seems to understand when I hesitate a little over Uncle Thasius's condition. He's been allowed to work half-days in the chalk-powdering plant at a job where he doesn't have to move too much, which I explain in low tones.

The sun's higher in the sky now, so we go back to the elevator and wait. She says, "Remember what we have to do around others."

That vague statement reminds me to blank my expression as we get onto the elevator. We stop at the second floor briefly for a quick break. After I exit the bathroom, I check the time on the television set, and I see it's 09:00 now. Excellent.

Afterwards, Adria and I go down to the training level, which is underground. The cavernous gymnasium is impressive; it's a lot like the CEC. I spot weight training equipment, a mock rock-climbing station, and a station bristling with spears and other weapons. I nudge Adria and nod to that station. She gives me a slight nod in acknowledgement.

The ding of the elevator tells us someone else is coming. By mutual accord, I move a half-step away from Adria and stand straight, staring unflinchingly at the new people.

If I remember right, these are the District Four tributes. The guy and girl come over to us and he says, "District Two, right? I'm Chevis Bannon from Four."

His hair's a reddish-brown, he has blue-green eyes, and he has a few freckles on his face. Chevis doesn't quite smile but he's radiating a firm confidence. He's a bit shorter and slimmer than me, but his chest muscles, which I can see outlined by his blue shirt that's just a bit too tight for him, still stand out. He's checking me out as well, and nods approvingly.

The girl says, "I'm Sevan Odell."

I introduce myself, and so does Adria, and we briefly shake hands all around.

Adria's fairly tall, even by District Two standards for women, and I appreciate this when I notice that she's a bit taller than Chevis, who in turn is taller than Sevan. Sevan's also got blue-green eyes, but her hair is a light brown. Like Chevis, she's wearing training shorts, but her outfit is greenish in color. She's balanced on her feet and has the same kind of confident stance Adria has.

Chevis says, "Have you met District One yet?"

Adria rolls her eyes and says, "Don't ask."

Chuckles go around as Sevan says, "We saw them on the chariots. I think I get the idea."

As though our laughter were a signal, the elevator dings again, and out come Peer and Bell. Chevis and Sevan seem to notice the sudden chill as my back stiffens. Peer smirks, saunters up to us and says, "Well, well. We meet again. Peer Faust from District One. What're your names, District Four?"

Stiffly, Chevis and Sevan introduce themselves, leaving Bell to say, "And Bell Drossen, from wherever else but District One?"

Sourly, I think she's smarting off a bit.

Nonetheless, it's Career evaluation time. Now that I can see him up close, I see that I misjudged Peer's height; he's actually a bit taller then Adria. Also, he seems to have had a similar workout regime to me. There's a touch of softness to his face, though, that suggests he's had a bit of an easier diet than would be usual for people training for physical fitness. Bell's the same; there's a touch of delicateness about her that isn't in Sevan, and definitely isn't in Adria.

Peer's got blond hair, like me, but it doesn't look quite right. Remembering advertisements I've seen running during the Hunger Games, I wonder how he has access to hair dye, and then mentally slap myself for forgetting that he's from a district that supplies all sorts of luxuries to the Capitol. Of course he could get hair dye; his district makes it!

Bell's jet-black hair is similarly a bit too unnatural to be truly black, and I suspect hair dye at work there as well. She's lithe and strong, and she's Sevan's height; I realize now they had her in high heels for the chariot rides, which made her look taller.

I say, "Okay. We're all here early for a reason. Do we all want to form an alliance, right now?"

Peer almost looks like he wants to say no, but a sharp jab from Bell makes him sullenly say, "Yes."

The rest of us nod, and by mutual consent, the Career Pack has been formed. Peer proceeds to announce that he's the mayor's son in One, and that his father wants a Victor in the family. Bell flips her hair over her shoulder, crosses her arms, and says, "My parents supply all the varieties of lipstick to the Capitol, so if I'm a Victor, it'll help them enormously."

I really don't want to give up information that could be used against me, but my mentors' admonition about Peacekeepers saves me – I can lie about my origins and lay it on thick. "My parents are both dirt-broke stone quarriers. They want a Victor so they don't have to work again."

It's worth it to see the look on Peer's face like a disgusting odor just hit his nose. Chevis looks sympathetic, while Sevan and Bell have neutral expressions.

Adria proudly says, "Same for my parents." To Bell, she says, "They don't waste time putting women in dainty jobs in Two, you know."

It is actually true that some very strong women work in the quarries, but it's largely a man's job just because it's backbreaking labor.

Bell, for her part, tugs at her form-fitting red gymnasium outfit, and I can't help but notice the way it emphasizes her chest. She catches my eyes, then Chevis's, and just a hint of a smile crosses her face.

This could get bad, if she's decided to try playing male favorites in the alliance. I remember how the District One winner of the 58th Games had a small affair going with the District Four guy, and when her male counterpart from One found out, she set them against each other.

And in fairness, I've seen guys pull the same thing between girls of different districts. It's actually statistically likely, Brutus pointed out once, that under the pressure of the Games, people will form these kinds of attachments across districts and that we need to be careful not to let it happen to us. If Adria and I hadn't been secretly getting along well already…

Chevis rounds things out by saying he's the son of a man who owns a fishing boat, while Sevan's the daughter of the owner of District Four's caviar processing plant.

Further small talk reveals our ages: Peer's 17, Bell's 16, while Sevan is 18 and Chevis is 15.

Peer then arrogantly sniffs that he's had caviar. I try to keep my expression neutral, though my mind is racing, trying to figure out what it even looks like.

Sevan mockingly says, "Yes, but I get it fresh, not canned like yours."

"And do you get it served by an Avox?" says Peer in that voice which makes me want to deck him.

I frown, looking at him. Before I can wipe that expression, he looks at me and says in mock surprise, "Oh, they don't have them in the quarries, do they?" Patronizingly, he explains, "They're special servants; their tongues have been cut out, so there's no way for them to repeat anything you say to anyone else."

I look around, and the rest of us (except Bell) seem to be processing this information. It's possible that Chevis and Sevan learned this elsewhere, though, so I don't necessarily assume this is new for them.

Peer twists the knife as he says, "You must be really stupid to not know what an Avox is, District Two. Do they dose you up with morphling so you can smash rocks all day without needing your brain?" He mock-drools, miming using a pick to yank limestone pieces out of a mountain face.

My fists clench and my eyes narrow. I must not kill Peer Faust.

I must not strangle this arrogant bastard who's just mocked me and is making me see red.

The ding of the elevator distracts me and makes the red haze go away. As the others are also distracted, they don't notice Adria quickly squeezing my elbow and giving me a warning expression. I realize my jaw's clenched, and that Peer must have seen it. Shit! Brutus even warned me about this, damn it.

I relax, and she nods slightly to indicate my Success Mask has gone back in place.

Other tributes begin filtering in, and we Careers begin opening into a semicircle. Now that I know what an Avox is, I know why the servants never speak. What must have they done to have such a gruesome thing happen to them?

My thoughts on the matter are shoved aside as some people with shirts reading TRAINER on them walk around, putting numbers on our backs.

I begin examining the other tributes. As I survey them, my confidence increases. Only a few seem as strong as any of us in the Career Pack. However, Brutus's warning about District Three reminds me to keep an eye out for him.

I recognize the guy from Eight standing next to me and looking very nervous. He's in a training outfit that's been designed to try and hide his relative lack of muscle, but it's still obvious I outweigh him. He glares at me, and when my expression doesn't change, over the echoing babble of trainers talking to each other and getting ready at their stations, he blurts, "Don't you care that we have names, District Two?"

Coolly, I say, "Actually, no. But I'll give you free advice. Stay away from the Cornucopia."

He gives me a poisonous look and turns to his district partner.

I quickly count the circle that has finally formed and I see all twenty-four of us are now present. The head trainer steps into the center of the circle and claps twice to get our attention.

"All right, everyone, listen up. I'm Atala, the new Head Trainer. The first rule of being here is that you do not fight with another tribute. The second rule is that you're free to go to any station you like. If you would like to spar, we have trainers available who will be happy to demonstrate their knowledge and skills for you, as well as provide sparring partners."

Atala takes a few moments to review the stations in the gymnasium, then looks around at us when she finishes.

"So. Any questions?" barks Atala. After a few moments, she says, "No? All right, then. Training is from now – ten in the morning – to twelve at noon, when we'll break for lunch for an hour. After that we resume, and you can break for supper starting at five o'clock PM; this gym stays open until seven at night. Tomorrow, we will be open starting at eight AM and stay open until eight PM. So, with that, good luck!"

It's time to see what we're all made of.

Author Note: Thanks go to SkyWriter9 for the beta work! :)