Trains and Towers

"Wow what a great reaping. The tributes are now en route to the capitol. I don't think I've ever been so excited for a hunger games. How about you Terrence?" Crystal Watersten asked her co-host in the most bubbly voice you've ever heard.

"Well Crystal with all the reapings just finished being broadcast-ed I can see why your so excited. I for one can't wait for the tributes to finally get here and for the games to officially begin. Until they get here were gonna have to live with only the reapings but don't you worry Panem they will be here in less than 24 hours, and you know where you can get all the hunger games updates as soon as they happen, right here on PNN the Panem News Network. Then once the games start go over to our sister network, HGN the Hunger Games Network for all the gory glory of the hunger games. Until tomorrow I'm Terrence Basil, and for my co-host Crystal Watersten, and all of us here at the Panem News Network, Good Night and happy hunger games!"

Lenka Keller (D7) 17 POV:

"Great it's over we watched them all can we turn it off now." I asked finally fed up with this garbage.

"Yeah we can turn it off." Jackson said. That's my mentor Jackson Patricha. He is the only victor so far from district 7. He won 3 years ago when he tricked them all by making them think he was dead and then that night when the names were in the sky he creot up behind the last couple careers and killed them all at once. He's been a little messed up ever since. At least thats what I heard. Since I met him this afternoon he's been nothing but normal.

"Now what do we do?" Dylan, my district partner, asked after a prolonged moment of silence. "I mean shouldn't we be preparing for the games? Learning all we can about the other tributes and getting a leg up on everyone else." What Is he crazy. Today was the most, well second most, bizarre day of my life and I need to sleep. Besides I've been living on my own for years I already got a leg up on everyone else. Also I've been thinking too much in the last 12 hours since the reaping, I need sleep and I need it bad.

"No, for tonight you sleep. You two have been through a lot today your gonna need your rest for all the 'festivities' tomorrow." Thank god someone who talks sense.

"But-" Dylan began.

"No buts. This is how I treated the last tribute and the tributes before that. They all thanked me the next morning."

"Then they died a week later." Dylan mumbled under his breath low enough so Jackson couldn't hear but loud enough for me too. I couldn't help but snicker. Jackson left the room without another word. He most likely heard what Dylan said or at least my laugh told him the gist of it.

"So whats up with you?" Dylan asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"I mean you disappeared for 5 years and everyone thought you were dead. I remember you from school. I know we didn't know each other so don't worry if you don't remember me. It's just that you are supposed to be dead. So what's the deal?"

"It's a long story I'd rather not talk about it." That's all I could say. I mean all I wanted to say. For one of the first people I've talked to in 5 years. I'm surprisingly enjoying talking to him a lot more than I expected to.

"C'mon. Were probably gonna die together and you wont even share the most intimate part of your life with me. I have to say I'm kinda insulted." I laughed. I'll admit it the boy is funny.

"I think I'm going to bed." I begin to stand up and walk over to the door out of the viewing room. As I turn the corner I hear Dylan shout.

"Y'know I'm a real stubborn guy. I'm not gonna die until I know your story!" A smile cracked across my face as I walked to my room on the train.

I just realized that I created a paradox in my story in my very first reaping! Yay for accidents! If you will go back to the District 1 Reaping chapter you will notice a paradox. I made Wonder's brother and Jasper's brother both from the same district volunteer in the same year. Well as the rules of the hunger games state only one male from district one is in the games each year. So to correct my boo-boo the information is changed from this point forward. All references to Wonder's brother Josh the watchmaker being in the games will be pushed back one year. He was now in the 10th hunger games and Jasper's brother James will remain where he is as victor of the 11th annual hungers games. Now that I solved the time paradox in my story I'm going to go back into my Tardis and save the world from the daleks. We now return you to your originally scheduled chapter. Please enjoy.

Jasper Lykin (D1) 17 POV:

We're eating dinner and I finally know what James has always been talking about. This capitol food is beyond incredible its like God sent his holy flavor into my mouth. Its so so so good. I don't know if I'll ever stop eating. I look around the table and the only person eating with as much enthusiasm as me is Wonder sitting right next to me. We both look at each other and we don't speak we just chew. The odd silence is broken by my brothers voice.

"Enjoying your food a bit too much?" James said. Oh right I almost forgot as victor of the 11th hunger games he is my mentor in these hunger games. "Jasper can I talk to you for a minute?" I reluctantly put down my food and head over to a separate hallway where my brother is waiting for me. "So whats the deal, why volunteer?" He asked me.

"I'm tired of being an outcast from my own family. You guys wont take me back so I'm here to prove it to you that I'm worth it." I explained to him.

"Well after the reaping I talked to dad. He says that he wasn't expecting this to happen but he's really glad it did, and so am I." After that he cracked a smile. "Now listen to me. I'm gonna train you and I'm gonna train you hard. I'm gonna give you all the strategy necessary to win this thing. But there's a catch. In order for you to win this you have to be a career but you can't be the leader of the careers because they are always the first to get turned on. Let some dumb-ass take that role." I listen to him intently on everything eh said. It was like reading an encyclopedia on how to win these games. "One last thing."

"Yeah what is it." I asked.

"You can't get close to me, not yet. It's because of wonder. If she thinks because were related I'm gonna favor you shes gonna get super pissed and never will take your side because she will know that I want you to win. So your gonna have to do some acting. When I send you back in there look like I just spent the last 10 minutes telling you have terrible you are and that the family will never love you or something like that. Then I'm gonna pull her back here and give her this big speech about how much I can't stand you and can't wait for you to die. That way she'll trust me and think that I'm on her side. But I will convince her that she needs you for the career pack. So go back in there and act your ass off little bro." I couldn't help but smile.

I kept think of sad things like the kids I would have to kill. We watched the reapings so I can visualize it. It got me upset but that's a good thing. So I walked back into the dining car and went over to the table. I sniffled and wiped tears away from my eyes. Then James came in and called wonder in for a chat. About 15 minutes later she walked back in with a look on her face like she's already won these games. I avoided looking into her eyes because I didn't wanna make her think that I knew what was going on. As soon as she sat down I stood back up and gave a quick fake sob before storming off to my room. Hmm maybe after these games are over I can take a job being an actor in the capitol. I appear to be a natural at it.

Serenity Williams (D12) 13 POV:

This is gonna blow. I'm about to get off of this train and walk out to a bunch of camera flashes and annoying reporters all trying to catch a glimpse of the tributes destined to die. How normal is that? Why is it that I have to be the girl in this position. Why couldn't it go to one of the others who keep trying to no avail to be special. This is completely stupid. The train doors open and me and Cole walk out onto the platform. Well I walk Cole wheels out. He's in a wheelchair because of his heart attack yesterday. It's just perfect, I'm abnormal enough now I'm district partners with the heart attack kid. Stupid stupid stupid! We have our escort, Macy, try to keep the reporters away from us because of Cole's condition but shes so petite and miniscule that they walk straight past her. Most districts have the mentors do it because they are famous and they know how to work a crowd but not us. District 12 is yet to have a victor so the media just jumps all over me and Cole.

I quickly get behind Cole's wheelchair and I push us straight to the private car that is going to take us to the tribute tower. I think I ran over a few reporters foots with Cole's chair but I really don't care. All I want is to get to the tower so I can at least attempt to have a normal day. The driver waits for Macy to get back to the car before he leaves giving the media ample time to get as many picture of us as possible through the window. The car finally pulls out from the parking lot and finally I can relax. Oh wait never mind I can't because news vans are stalking us from every side of the car. I take the zipper of the jacket I'm wearing and attempt to cover my face. Why does this have to happen to me?

Katy Zurrar (D10) 16 POV:

Me and Howler make our way through the 10th floor of the tribute tower just looking at the different rooms and all the cool capitol stuff. I think now is as good a time as any to ask him about the reaping.

"So Howler," I begin.

"Yeah Katy." He said while admiring the massive kitchen

"What you said at the reaping on stage about protecting me and stuff, what was all that about." I asked him.

"It is exactly the same as what I said. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." I'm kinda shocked by what he said. Well not by what he said just the way he said it. He didn't even look over at me, he kept spinning the lazy susan around like he didn't even give it a thought.

"Well you know that if you don't want anyone to hurt me that means your gonna die right?" I wanna see what this guy is thinking.

"I know that." He said. Now he looks over at me. "I'm going to protect you to the end of this thing and no one is gonna hurt you. Then if it ends up being the two of us I'll let you kill me, or I can kill myself whichever is easiest at the time." He said that with such truth In his voice.

"But, why?"

"Because I'm a man and that's what men do. They protect their woman. That's how I was raised and that's how I'm gonna fight."

"But I'm not your woman. I barely know you. We met at a party or two over the years but that's it. If this is just some sort of ploy to get me to sleep with you or som-"

"It's not a ploy." He cut me off. "I'm not trying to sleep with you I'm just a gentleman and lets leave it at that, okay?" There was a pause.

"How am I supposed to trust you? How do I know that this isn't just some trick so you can have an alliance till the end and then kill me?"

"You don't. You can never know for sure. But I'm not a liar and I'm not a cheat. I only tell the truth. I guess I can only hope that by the time we get into the arena that you will trust me enough to let me keep you safe." Another pause.

I walk back out of the kitchen to my room. If he's telling the truth... well who would tell the truth this is the hunger games for god sake. But he may be... UGH I don't know. I need to think.

Elektra Spark (D3) 17 POV:

It's really nice here in the capitol. I mean I'm gonna die soon anyway so I might as well enjoy myself. I ordered everything on my menu in my room. Then there is a knock on my door. Good room service is here I'm starving. I open the door and get a surprise when my district partner Solomon walks in. Ahh Solomon as soon as I met him I knew that he would be a really annoying guy to deal with. He's all about the fame and the glory. It makes me sick.

"What are you doing? Training starts in two hours!"

"I'm about to eat breakfast. Why are you hear if training is for another two hours? "

"The press conferences duh. We have to go down to the lobby for all the press so that they know who we are." Really annoying right?

"I don't want to see the press I want to eat my breakfast." I said.

"You think I care about your stupid breakfast." Solomon said to me.

"You think I care about you stupid celebrity." I retorted. He got very angry when he couldn't think of a witty remark to say back and he stormed out of the room. Heh, he has no idea how easily I would snap him like a twig. Before I let myself be killed by a strong career I think I'm gonna have some fun "accidentally" slitting his throat in the arena.

So... did you like it? I had a great time finally writing a chapter about established characters and not just the same old reaping. Remember to send in questions for your favorite tributes for the interview process and don't forget the poll on my profile that might sway my already forming opinions on the tributes. Leave a review of the chapter, this time I would REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate it, let me know how you like the format and the way the chapter works because this is how I like it but if you find it difficult to read I may change it. So please review with thought or reactions because it makes me VERY happy when you do. Next up training!

Peace Out For Now, Conman418