(Early Chapter Celebrating 100 Reviews)

Atlas Verdini, 18, D7:

"It's just this way," pipes up Regina as I follow her down a hallway. I spot a large elevator, similar to the one in the Justice Building. I grunt at Regina and continue along my path, deciding it would be best to not speak at all.

Regina sighs, pressing the down button which causes it to light up.

"Look, Atlas, I'm not your enemy. I want to help you and I want both you and Phionex to win," she says staring up at me. My first thought is that she is lying and trying to get me to let my guard down. However, Regina has been nice and helpful to us this whole time. Something tells me that she isn't as bad as I instantly make her out to be.

"I'm sorry Regina, it's just hard to trust anyone from the Capitol," I say, staring at the elevator. Regina smiles knowingly.

"That's only expected, trust me I don't blame you," she says patting my back.

"And I probably shouldn't have spat on you," I smirk. She nods in response just as the doors to the elevator opens.

"Good luck," she whispers and watches me enter. The doors slide shut, leaving me enclosed with the girl from 12, the boy from 10 and the girl from 8. I examine each one of them, none seem to be much of a threat. The boy from 10 steps towards me.

"Hi, Vince Rojarze from District 10, nice to meet you," he says beaming as he sticks out his hand. I take his hand hesitantly and shake it.

"Atlas," I reply, lowering my hand and leaning against the wall.

"I like the costume," he says cheerfully. I look down at my costume, still unsure of what will happen. Jiff my stylist says that something 'special' will happen as the chariots roll out. I can't imagine what that would be, I'm wrapped in what would look like vines, except the texture and colour looks like a pale oak tree.

"Thanks," I reply turning away unsure of his intentions.

"Wow, this is truly amazing, I don't know any kind of synthetic material like this," says the girl from District 8 as she examines the branches wrapped around me.

She looks up and notices I'm staring at her. Her snow coloured face blushes and she looks down awkwardly.

"Oh sorry, I'm Libra, I'm just fascinated by what your costume could be made out of, it's nothing like what I have seen in District 8," she says. I can't help but notice her electrifyingly blue eyes and her long soft coal black hair.

"That's perfectly fine, you can touch it if you want," I say to her, smiling.

"Really?" She asks.

"Yeah sure, go ahead," I reply. She raises her finger to my arm and slowly caresses the wood.

"Woah, it's so life like," she says in awe. She gasps when the spot that she touched produces a short, slender branch. I didn't expect this either and I almost jump, is this what is special about it? The branch has something small on the end that rapidly grows bigger. Before I know it, a fully grown apple has protruded from the branch.

She rips the apple off and tears a chunk of it off, looking back at me in shock when the apple's interior is that of a normal apple.

"Oh my, this isn't fabric at all!" She states, examining the apple.

"Hey can I have a look?" Asks Vince, cautiously looking over her shoulder.

"Uh sure..." She says taken aback. As I make room for him to come over, I almost back into the District 12 girl. I completely forgot she was here.

"Sorry about that," I say stepping aside from her. She glares at me and then responds.

"Don't worry about it," she sighs. Out of the four of us in here, she already appears most like me. Kind of a tough nut, rough around the edges, doesn't take shit, type of person.

"Was it Dana?" I ask, briefly remembering her name from the Reaping recap. She nods but says nothing else. Yes, just like me.

The elevator finally comes to a stop and the doors slide open. Dana makes her way out before I can say anything else.

"Hey Atlas, come with me and I'll introduce you to Rexx, I think you'll get along," says Libra, smiling up at me.

"Rexx?" I ask.

"My District partner silly," she says laughing. She is awfully cheerful for what she was like at her Reaping. At first I'm quite hesitant. I'm not the type of person to be all that social with new people, especially people I should be killing in a weeks' time. However, my senses conclude that it couldn't harm to get to know people, maybe discover a few things that could be useful. Not to mention my strategy for these games anyway. People are a huge part of that. They make up that alliance I've been planning.

Libra drags me over to the District 8 chariot that happens to be right behind my own chariot anyways. I notice a couple of things as we walk, the girl from District 5 has much longer hair now. She fiddles with it uncomfortably, even tugging at it. She is a lot quieter then at her Reaping.

Phionex stands there in an identical costume to mine, talking to the pair from District 6. Interesting, interesting indeed. I already know that District 6 will be strong, and Phionex will surely be a valuable ally. I should consider talking to them later on.

The current event takes my attention as Libra and I arrive at her chariot. Rexx has a curly and messy style of hair that's a chocolate brown colour. He leans against the chariot silently observing all the other tributes, especially the Two's. The girl is causing quite the ruckus like at her Reaping, however the boy is different from the last time I saw him. He was limping originally and appeared very weak. Now he is fighting Peacekeepers with complete and utter rage. His eyes burn pure fury and his body shakes with anger.

Some of the younger tributes gasp when he suddenly punches a hole through his chariot. One of the Peacekeepers run out and jab him with a needle as he tries to pry his hand out of the Chariot. He stumbles a bit before standing straight, rocking back and forth with a sort of dopey look on his face.

"I heard that they used some kind of untested treatment for whatever disease he had," says a calm voice from behind me. I turn to find Rexx staring at me intently, the corner of his mouth curled into a cheeky grin.

"Really? Are they allowed?" I ask, unsure.

"Unfortunately, yes they are. Because they are the Capitol," says Vince as he steps beside me. I didn't even notice he had followed us.

"Hi, Vince Rojarze," Vince says, shaking Rexx's hand.

"Rexx," he replies, grinning.

"You're Atlas, right?" he asks.

"Yeah that's me, don't know how you remembered," I say chuckling.

"Oh that's easy, I've memorised every tributes name," he says shrugging.

"Really?" I say surprised.

"He actually has, it's kind of scary," pipes up Libra.

"That girl over there from One, her name is Theia," he says pointing at a girl leaning against the District 1 chariot, intently observing the others.

"That boy's name is Dayta, smartest boy in District 3," he continues. Dayta is speaking to who appears to be the District 3 girl.

"That's Laelia from District 5, apparently she had some treatment done to her as well, and that is her District partner, Minho," he says pointing at the burly Asian boy, talking to Phionex and the two from District 6.

"What are their names?" I say pointing to the District 6 tributes.

"Hera and Aramid," he says with ease.

"Wow, you have really done your research," I say amazed.

"Yep I know," he says beaming with pride. Suddenly, his face drops as he sees something behind me.

"And that, that is Fletcher," he says coldly. I turn to see the definition of evil strolling past the eyes of the various onlookers of tributes. He comes accompanied by about four Peacekeepers, all of which are tiny compared to him.

"Oh my," utters Libra.

"He is a lot bigger in person," Vince says. From the competition I have already seen, the Eights don't seem to stand much of a chance. It might be the majority of the fact that they are from District 8 and I mean, come on. Clothing? These guys stand about as much of a chance as the little twelve year old from Ten.

"Five Minute Warning," says a robotic voice from God knows where.

"Well fellas, I'm off. I'm sure we'll meet at training," says Vince, giving us the thumbs up as he turns and walks off.

"I should probably get back to Phionex as well, I guess I'll see you around," I say to Rexx. He smiles and nods me off.

"For sure," he says as he hops into the chariot. This leaves Libra and I. We stand awkwardly for a couple of seconds, until I finally speak up.

"So I guess we'll see each other again at training?" I ask.

"Of course! Was great meeting you Atlas," she says smiling.

"Alright, see you tomorrow," I say as I start to walk off.

"Bye," she says as she hops into the Chariot. I walk up to the District 6 Chariot, seeing as that is where Phionex is. As I arrive, all of them stop and look at me.

"So this is Atlas," says Phionex as Minho, Hera and Aramid nod.

"You weren't kidding," Hera says as she grabs my arm and caresses my bicep.

"He was built for war," she adds, smiling at me approvingly.

"Uh, what's going on?" I ask hesitantly.

"The Capitol expects us to kill each other as if we are enemies," says Aramid.

"We can unite in a group, against them," adds Hera.

"And I will be happy to take out anyone that gets in our way in the arena," says Minho, grinning maliciously. That's when I smile, that's when I can see my plan settling in, taking its place. I reply to their words.

"Yes. I think that's a good idea. Standing against the Capitol. United."

A/N: Turns out I was busy the rest of the weekend, but I got another chapter out, yay! So what did you think of the tributes mentioned? The ones Atlas interacted with and Atlas himself? I'm sure for any of you that reads History Repeats Itself, you aren't used to having such a normal and friendly District 10 male. I also feel like Rexx is similar to Number 8 from the Lorien Legacies, well that's how I like to picture him anyways. Not sure when the next chapter will be, hopefully soon! I made sure not to mention any of the costumes except for Atlas' one so you can discover that next Chapter. Can't wait to see you there, two more chapters and then training!

-Ares