Hey readers and readresses! Peeps and Peepettes! We didn't have a contest for this but USANAguy did get it right so yay for him! This chapter was fun too right and ended up NOT being the last one. We apparently just love Catina too much. We hope you do too but don't care if you don't. Now, START THE STORY!

I woke curled into Katniss' side. I smiled at that realizing I had no nightmares and wondered if I should wake her. Then I figured we must be getting close and gently shook her, "Katniss."

"Hmm?" She groaned in her sleep.

"Wake up, Katniss."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you're my mentor and I need you."

"Okay," she said hugging me close.

"Thank you, Katniss."

"No problem. Where are we?" She asked.

"Not sure." I admitted.

"Let's find someone who does then." She sighed getting up. I nodded following her.

"Any idea who?" I asked.

"The conductor?"

"Probably best."

So we headed to the front. "Sir," I started.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Where are we?"

"The train is being repaired."

"Oh, well, where are we physically?"

"We are between 1 and the Capital." 1 and the Capitol, that might mean… before really thinking I bolted right out of the train.

"Where are you going!?" Katniss called.

I returned briefly and said, "I strongly suggest you follow me."

"Okay?" She said.


I headed out looking carefully for any sign. Then there was an oddly dense rock. I went over and carefully felt over and along it. It was metal. "Got you," I smirked and opened it like a latch.

"What is this?" Katniss asked.

"District 0," I breathed having not really known if it was real or not.

"What?" She asked confused.

"It's a secret society running underneath all of Panem built and used to house anyone who ever lost the Hunger Games with the obvious exception of mine."

"Really!?" Katniss asked.

"Looks like it. I assume you want to go down there then?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then come on, Mockingbird." I said and headed down into the underground city and when I say city I do mean like a full on city.

"It's amazing!" I said.

"Incredible, is there any way we could find Rue?"

"Probably." I said.

"Who are you?" asked a voice from our right. I turned and saw a girl probably about a year older than me with dirty blond hair pulled up in a ponytail and very pale skin. I couldn't really tell what color her eyes were with how dilated her pupils were. I certainly didn't recognize her from any games.

"Hello, I'm Catina and this is Katniss."

"You are?" She asked looking between us clearly surprised.

"Yes, we are. Why?" Katniss asked.

"Can you come with me then?" The girl asked.

"Uh...I guess." Katniss said.

"I'm with Rue. She just really wants to see you again."

"Okay!" Katniss said.

"I figured as much. Follow me then." I shrugged and we followed her through the large underground city.


She led us to a house which was luckily not very far. "Welcome to my home. Rue lives with me since she didn't want to live alone."

"Makes sense."

"Come on in." She said and headed in so we of course followed. "Rue should be in our room." She said.

"Which is?" She asked.

"Down the hall, to the right."

She went over being very quiet. I'm guessing she wants it to be a surprise. She crept up and walked in. "Rue?"

I really wish I could see her initial reaction but not from this angle, "Katniss!" She said and ran right up to her and Katniss ran into the room. I watched from the doorway as Katniss pulled Rue up into a hug.

"It's great to see you."

"How did you get down here?" Rue asked.

"The train broke down not too far from here. Catina here had found it." She said looking over at me.

"So you are Catina." Rue said smiling over to me.

I nodded, "Yeah, that's me."

"Nice to meet you." She said offering a hand.

I took it with a shake and a small smile, "Nice to meet you, too."

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through." She said.

"No different than you did."

"Well, sort of."

"Yours was so sudden." She added.

"Yeah, it was." I admitted.

"That's the difference. That and you're used to never really having to worry about stuff like that."

"Well, I suppose so."

"So, yeah, it's different."

"Not that different."

"Well… enough."

"Yeah, I am just glad you are alive."

"How did you even know about this place though?" Rue asked me.

"My father." I clutched my necklace sadly and explained, "He was a Gamemaker which is mostly why Coin targeted him."

"Oh! I am so sorry."

"Can we talk about something else?" I said looking down and trying not to cry.

"Yes sorry, how long do you have?"

"No clue," I admitted honestly.

"A while however long it takes for the train to be fixed."

"Well, when it is we certainly won't be easy to find though." I pointed out.

"That's true so as long as we want."

"No, not forever." I said with a chuckle. "If only we could somehow bring them up to the surface world."

"Can't we just take them back with us?" Katniss asked.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Why not? The war is over."

"Because they're dead, Katniss." I reminded. "To practically the entire surface world they died in their respective arenas."

"So? If we show the world they are alive it would be great for so many."

"Well… I guess that's true."

"See? Plus look at it down here they seem to have it all figured out."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There seems to be no issues everyone is getting along."

"Well, yeah, for the most part." Rue noted.

"What do you mean the most part?" I asked worried we had missed something.

"Well, nothing's one-hundred percent."

"Oh right. Sorry the games made me paranoid." I admitted honestly.

She nodded and said, "They do that."

"That's what I hear they do." Mercy said.

"My parents had just lost though. I was born here."

"You were?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's quite common actually. We're generally called Second Generations even if third or fourth."

"Interesting."

"The Games had been going on for seventy-five years. What do you expect?"

"I'm not sure." I admitted though it should have been obvious.

"Most of them certainly have their little quirks though."

"What do you mean?" Katniss asked.

"Well, first of all, the boys have a nasty habit of challenging the Careers to random fights to prove they're tough."

"How does that work out?"

"Usually terribly but at least they'd usually go in packs."

"And they still lose?"

"In most cases," Mercy sighed.

"Well, that is just stupid of them."

"That's what I keep telling my brother."

"He fights them?"

"Sometimes," Mercy sighed.

"That's stupid of him no offense." I said.

"None taken, someday he's going to get himself killed."

"Well maybe you need a career friend to teach him a lesson."

"Well, I have plenty but I couldn't possibly do that."

"Why not they do not have to kill him just teach him a lesson." I said carefully.

"Well, I guess I can ask Kawino to." Mercy said though slightly hesitant.

"Who is Kawino?" Katniss asked.

"Clove's brother, he made it to the final two in the 73rd Hunger Games."

"He's also a super nice guy." Rue added.

"Really?" Katniss asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, damaged more than most but nice." Rue said. "I know that's probably hard to believe but there's a lot about them and their districts that we never knew about."

"Really?" Katniss said curious.

"Yeah, mostly first off with the games themselves."

"Like what?"

"There's two reapings a real one and a televised one. The peacekeepers would capture the families of whosever name was drawn and if they don't 'volunteer', they'll kill them. If they're not brutal enough in the arena, they'll kill them."

"That's awful!" I said.

"Yes, it is but that's the way it was. They wanted to make sure the other districts hate them."

"And we did..." She sighed.

"We had no way of knowing." Rue said.

"Still." Katniss sighed.

"I did, too. Everyone did."

"Yeah, Snow had us all believing it."

"Exactly,"

"That was sick, more than usual for him."

"I know. I pretty much had the same reaction." Rue sighed.

"Well lets go meet him he's probably with Cato and Clove."

"Okay, if what you say is true that shouldn't be a problem." Katniss said.

"No, it shouldn't follow me."

We nodded and followed them out. The buildings were incredible more so, because we were underground. "That's amazing." I said looking around.

"Yeah, it took a lot of work,"

"I'd imagine but still, wow."

"Yeah, hard to believe it was all down here."

"How are you guys all alive though?" Katniss asked.

"Rigged...everything." Rue said. "Even something in the trackers to stop you from killing someone with your bare hands."

"Really?"

"Yeah, all the pain, none of the death."

"Well, actually, the pain itself is just a placebo." I corrected.

"A what?" They all asked.

"It's an older term for that though no physical change was made the mind truly believes it does so it has the same affect. Back then it was mostly used with medicine but the term still applies."

"Oh, so we thought it would hurt so it did."

"Exactly," I nodded. "There's no way around that though without the tributes knowing it not real beforehand and that wouldn't work out very well."

"That's true." Katniss admitted.

"So, yeah, that is an unfortunate side-effect."

"Still look at this place." Katniss said.

"Clove!" Rue called out to a girl ahead of us.

She turned and was just as shocked as Rue was. "Everdeen?" She asked smiling a little.

"Yes, sorry, I don't know your last name but Clove."

"It's Yetter and it is nice to see you." She said offering a hand.

Katniss took it and said, "Nice to meet you, too. Rue had told me about the…"

"Yeah, the fake deaths, it's impressive and terrible all at once." She said.

"Yeah, but that not what I was referring to. I meant your guys' reapings."

"Oh right those." She sighed.

"Is that true?"

"Yes it is." She said.

"That's awful. Even for him."

"Yeah but he is gone now."

"So is Coin. I hear you have a brother down here?"

"Yeah, I do, did you want to meet him?"

Katniss nodded, "Yes please."

"Here he comes now." Clove said smiling behind her.

I looked around and saw a muscular but otherwise skinny boy about a year younger than Katniss with dark brown hair that went about to about his shoulders. "Hey Clove!" He said smiling and followed by the boy from 2 who had been in Katniss' first games.

"Hey Kawino, Katniss here wants to meet you."

"Katniss Everdeen?" Kawino asked smiling at her.

"Yeah, that me."

"Nice to meet you." He said a bit red but offering a hand to her.

"Nice to meet you, too." She said and shook it.

"So, why are you looking for me?"

"Mercy had actually requested it. You know her?"

"Oh yeah, hey Mercy, what do you need?" He asked.

"I was wondering if you could help teach my brother why fighting Careers is a bad idea. Deny as you do you're the best there is."

"Well what exactly do you need me to do?" Kawino asked scratching his wrists.

Before she could answer, Katniss seemed to notice something I didn't. "What's that on your wrist?"

"I...it's nothing." He said.

She took off the knives through then I saw it. Many cuts some old leaving just scars some clearly fresh lined down his wrist. "Where did you get those?" She asked.

"I said it's nothing." He said taking the knives back.

"No, it's not." Katniss said.

He hesitated before saying, "I did them myself."

"Why would you do that?"

"It was an easier kind of pain."

"You cut yourself because it was easier?" Katniss asked confused as I was.

"You couldn't possibly understand."

"Try me." She demanded dragging him away.

Despite how rude it is, I followed but stayed out of either of their views. "What happened?" She asked.

"Just… really rough childhood."

"I can relate there. Want to talk?" She asked gently setting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well… I guess."

"Alright then, tell me about it." She said sitting beside him on a bench.

"Where can I even start?"

"At the start." She said.

"Well, I guess it really started when I was three and had started the Career training."

"That's a bit young."

"Not really, that's pretty much the average. Then if by five you still haven't started then the Peacekeepers get involved."

"Oh! I'm so sorry." Katniss said. I felt a bit sickened by the thought as well.

"I haven't even started yet." He said seeming confused.

"Oh okay, go on then." She said.

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yes, I want to know." She said.

"Well, first of, my parents were trainers so Clove and I literally lived at the training center. At least for me that meant there was never such thing as free time or breaks. You could only stop training to eat, sleep, use the restroom, or go to Reapings and if I didn't do what they needed perfectly then I wasn't allowed to eat or sleep until I did."

"That's inhuman. Why did they do that to you?"

"Wondered that pretty much my whole life. Never was able to figure out the answer."

"That's so cruel." She said hugging him. He certainly seemed surprised by that but did return it. "No one deserves that."

"It didn't stop there though."

"How could it get worse?"

"I'm not sure how to put it to words." He said and pulled away from her and took off his shirt.

She gasped which was rare for Katniss. I couldn't really see from my spot without trying but given Katniss' reaction, I didn't want to. "They did that to you."

"Yeah, except my wrists. They would also tell me that I'm useless and not good enough for anything or anyone and unless I'm absolutely perfect and unbeatable no one will ever love me."

"That's not true." Katniss said.

"You don't know that and I'm almost done."

"Okay, keep going." She said still leaning on him.

"Well, it more ties in with the first part but basically if it doesn't have to do with the Hunger Games I don't know anything. I couldn't even read or write."

"You couldn't?"

"Not at all, from the time down here I figured out a few things but not really."

"You can read and write now right?"

"Not really. I can figure out a few things in reading but it takes a while and I can't write at all."

"Well, I can help." Katniss offered.

"You would do that?"

"Sure, I would. If you do not mind that is,"

"I would like that actually."

"Good, then you are coming with us then."

"Up there?" Kawino asked.

"Yeah, up there we are going to take a few of you. And you are coming along."

"What if they get me though?"

"I will not let your parents lay a finger on you and you can bring whoever you like." She added.

"They're too good. They'd kill you if you tried."

"No, I promise you I will not let them near you."

"Are you sure you would be able to?"

"Yes I am." She said smiling at him.

"Why do you care?"

"Well, why would I not, you seem like a nice guy and you deserve to be happy."

"Yeah, well the universe disagrees."

"Not anymore." She said.

"Well, if you're sure..."

"I am sure." She said.

"Then I would like that and you can get Cato, Clove, and Mercy up, too?"

"Sure we can." Katniss said with a smile I had never seen from her before.

"Good, I need my sister and Cato makes her happy."

"I can understand that. So do we have a deal?" She asked sounding hopeful.

He nodded, "Yes we do."

"Good." She said and I swear she smiled again. Could she?… maybe. No, there was no way... I know that she had been alone for a while, but did she? Well… if so it will probably but great for both of them. "Catina what are you doing?" Katniss asked as they walked out.

Shot, I guess that was stupid, "Sorry, I was curious but that was incredibly rude of me."

"Yes it was." She smirked.

"You just love seeing me be rude don't you?"

"Yes, it warms my heart."

"That's confusing. So you're not mad?"

"Not really, no." She smiled.

"Still confusing."

"I don't know. I'm just happy."

I had an idea why but of course didn't say so, "Well, I guess that's good then."

"So he is going to help Mercy and then we all have to go." Katniss said.

"Alright, that sounds perfect actually."

"Good then let's go."

I nodded and followed them back to the others. "Okay Mercy where is he?" Kawino asked.

"Back at my house."

"Okay, let's get this out of the way then."

She nodded, "Yeah, let's."

Kawino nodded and as a group we left. It was a short walk back to Mercy's house. "So you just want him hurt with or without broken bones?"

"Without," Mercy answered seriously.

"Got so just fear and bruises." Kawino said giving Katniss his knives.

I was surprised when she in turn handed them to me. "Why me?"

"Because I don't trust myself with them."

"Really Katniss?" I asked.

"I'm impulsive and still mentally unstable."

"And I'm not?" I asked.

"By comparison, no."

"So you would rather I hurt myself or others than you?"

"Preferably no one would."

"Fine." I sighed.

"You could pass them off though if you're really worried."

I handed them off to Mercy. It seemed safest since she's the only one who wasn't in the arena. "I will just hold on to these." She said.

"Good, that was the point."

"Oh okay then."

"Let's just head in then."


Kawino walked in looking for her brother. They found who I assume is him in front of a small TV. I'm not sure what exactly I expected but he seemed a lot younger than I expected. Kawino cleared his throat. He turned to him, "Oh hi Kawino, everyone."

"Outside now." Kawino said in a voice that left no room for argument. He hesitated luckily being smart enough from the tone but got up. He walked out to his backyard and Kawino followed.

"So you like to fight careers?"

"Well... everyone does."

"Fair enough, then let's fight." Kawino said surprisingly casual. "You and me, right here, right now."

"What but I don't want to fight you." He said surprised.

"Why not? I am a career after all."

"You're my friend, and I am not ready for a fight."

"From my understanding, they never were besides in some just always being."

"But..." He started.

"Also, death does not wait for you to be ready." Kawino said hitting him in the gut. He was sent back a bit with a grunt but sent an uppercut to Kawino's jaw. Kawino barely lost a step and elbowed Alec in the back of the neck. "I said fight this is not a dance." Kawino said.

He spun and kicked Kawino in the shin but again it didn't seem to make a difference. Kawino grabbed his ankle and threw him part way across the yard. He hit the ground with a thud that must have hurt. "We were trained to kill." Kawino said.

"You're going to kill me?" Alec asked fearfully.

"No, I am going easy on you, but other careers they will not hesitate to kill you and down here no one would stop them."

"Yes, they would."

"No, they would not if your family was not around."

"It's illegal though."

"You think they will care?"

"They would be stopped before it got that far."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's illegal." He repeated.

"They will not care, and no one can stop them other than other careers." He looked down the full weight seeming to finally settle in. "Do you understand, Alec?" Kawino asked.

He nodded hastily. "No more picking fights with Careers."

"Good." Kawino said.

"Mercy had actually requested I do the by the way." Kawino added helping him up. "She's was worried that that's exactly what would end up happening."

"Well she does not have to anymore. Lesson learned."

"Then are you okay to head back in?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Actually do you want to come along?" Katniss asked.

"Katniss?!" He gasped having apparently not noticed us. "Catina?! What are you doing down here?!"

"Long story." She said coming over. "We're going to take a few back above ground." She added.

"Really!? I have always wanted to go up there."

"Really, then I assume you're in?"

"Yeah, if I can be."

"We'll let you."

"Cool!" He said smiling.

"Who else is?" He asked.

"Kawino, Mercy, Clove, Cato, Rue, and your parents."

"That works out perfectly then."

"Yeah, it does we leave soon."

"How soon?"

"Very." Katniss said. "Anyone else you would like to come with." She asked.

"Not really."

"Okay, then just grab anything you want to bring with." He nodded heading inside.

"Are you going to need any help?" I offered.

"No I can get it." He said.

"Okay," I said as he headed in.

"Thanks for the offer though."

"No problem," He ran to his room fast as he could. I'm assuming at least.

He returned with an unusual necklace with a slightly stained red arrow head strung onto it. "What is it?"

"It's the head of one of the arrows that 'killed' my dad in the arena. He gave the others to Mercy and mom."

I could hear his voice catching at he spoke though.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"Four years ago he had died for real though."

"What happened?" Katniss asked.

"Well, first of all whenever someone first arrives from the arena to 0 there has to be someone's to go to the hovercraft to help settle the extreme confusion and get them down here so he was sent to get a boy from 2 but the boy must have thought he was still in the arena."

"So he attacked?" I concluded. Alec and Mercy both nodded understandably looking very said and I felt the cold metal of my own necklace clasped in my hand. "I'm so sorry." I said.

"Not your fault." Alec said.

"No but I know the pain of losing a father."

"Oh right,"

"Let's all not talk about it." Kawino said.

"Alright, I agree."

"We need to go soon."

"Right, anything else anyone needs?"

"Our mother." Mercy said.

"Go get her then." Mercy nodded and headed inside as well.

She came out a short while later with a dark skinned and haired woman I assume to be her. "Hello." I said bowing.

She looked between Katniss and I. "What are you two doing here?"

"Long story."

"You want to get back home though?" I asked.

"I would like to see it again."

"Well, we're going to take a few back up."

"You are?"

"Yes: you, Alec, Mercy, Kawino, Clove, Cato, and Rue."

"That sounds wonderful!" She said.

"Good, we're leaving soon."

"How soon?"

"Almost immediately."

"Okay,"

"Let's go." Katniss said. We all nodded and headed out.

I noticed Katniss stuck close to Kawino as we walked. I smiled at that. It was too perfect really. We made our way over to the train carefully.

I noticed the light seemed to be bothering Alec and Mercy. I guess their eyes aren't used to it having lived their whole lives underground.

"Be careful kids." Their mother said. They both nodded looking down closer to the ground.

"Just give it a few hours." I said.

"Alright," They both said.

We made it to the train and the conductor gasped. "What? But, how?" He asked staring at them in shock.

"It's a long story." Katniss said.

"But… they're dead."

"No, they are not."

"Well, yeah I can see that."

"Good so can we go?"

"Yes, the train's fixed."

"Good let's go then." I said. He nodded and headed back to the control center. Soon we were off.

See? I won't require District 0 for this story especially since it's incredibly long but I will recommend it. That story is on hiatus do to writers block but if you can help us through it we would be eternally grateful. Please review and feel free (is that even how the saying goes?) to flame.