Chapter 25: Training Day 3

Luke Cole (D7M) POV:

"So guys, whats our plan for the arena?" Jesse asks Mari and I, I guess it's time to get down to business...
"I vote we stay with the careers until we outnumber them, then we attack when they are vulnerable, kill them and run. Thoughts?" Mari replies, a bit too enthusiastic...
"Woah, we don't really have to kill them! Can't we just run away with weapons and food? Then maybe we can wait for someone else to do it." I tell her.
"I dunno Luke, we can't carry all of the supplies but we can't just let them leave or something... I'm actually agreeing with Mari on this one." They both look to me, as if challenging me to find a better idea.
"How about we just set fire to the supplies we don't need?" I say, almost worried about the fact that they are so set on killing.
"Okay, I guess we can do that... But we need to make sure we get rid of everything." Jesse says after a bit of consideration.
"Traitor!" Mari cuts in immediately, "It's the Hunger Games, Kill or be Killed! And I will NOT be killed because we feel weakness for those idiots. If you two pussies don't wanna kill them, I will!" She folds her arm, obviously proud of herself.
"I agree that we can't become weak in the games, but we can't become savages! That's just what they want!" I argue back, also crossing my arms.
"Yes, exactly! That's what they want! We do what the Capitol says, they like us, they help us live! Remember what happened 30 years ago?!" She yells back at me, only getting silence in response and shocked looks from people around us.
She should not be talking about rebelling, especially not in the Capitol!
"You're going to get us killed talking like that!" Jesse whispers at her harshly.
"No, he's going to get us killed if he doesn't toughen up!" She points at me, but still concentrates all her anger towards Jesse.
At least she isn't yelling about rebellion anymore...
"Okay. Fine! If it will make you stop drawing attention to us, we will kill them. Just stop being so angry, they are already suspicious." I hastily reply while pushing her finger out of my face.
"Great. But one last thing, Jesse and I need to be sure that in the arena, after we kill the careers, you won't go ditching us for that bitch." Mari questions me, a smug, knowing look on her face.
"What? Who?" I ask, honestly confused.
"The chick from Six who you keep looking at when you train. We notice these things. And we saw you talking to her yesterday." Jesse explains, great, he is on her side now.
"Nah, she wants to be alone. And I wouldn't do that to you guys!" I tell them trying to look as innocent as possible.
"Good, because if it comes down to Jesse and I verses you and the whore, I think we know who would win that battle." Mari gives us both one last condescending look before spinning around and marching off to irritate someone else.
"God I hate her." Jesse states under his breathe.
I nod in agreement, and we simultaneously walk away from each other, going to different stations. I sneak a look over to Callista owning at the survival stations. I can't help but think that, if it came down to it, I would choose Callista over Mari and Jesse. It would be tough leaving Jesse, but to be honest...
I really hate Mari.

Mignon Hartney (D4F) POV:
I spend a bit of time at the bow and arrow section, it is probably my weakest weapon so it could do me some good. The only bad thing is that so far, I have only managed to embarrass myself, hitting everything except for the target, even embedding a few arrows into the wall.
I hear a small giggle to my left so I instinctively swing to face the potential threat, only to scare the young girl from Nine by aiming an arrow straight at her face. She backs away with her hands in the air and I quickly realise she doesn't mean any harm, so I lower the bow.
"Woah, I just wanted to see if you need some help or something. You look like you're, kind of, struggling with that. My names Aurora." She laughs, gesturing towards the bow.
"Yeah, it's not my best weapon... Would you like to show me how it's done? I am Mignon." I laugh as I hand over the bow and an arrow.
She aims towards the target and shoots, the arrow cuts through the air and lands just to the right of the centre of the target. Not as good as some people back home, but amazing for a starter.
"Wow, I didn't even know you were that good." The girl from Three laughs, approaching us with the girl from One, earning a huge smile from Aurora.
"So, are you guys an alliance or something?" I ask after a bit of an awkward silence.
Unfortunately I am only answered with more silence and the exchange of signalling looks between the three girls. Eventually, Aurora rolls her eyes and smiles, looking towards me again.
"Are you in the careers?" She questions me.
I consider making them tell me first, but from what I have seen it o safe to assume that they are in an alliance, so I just answer her, "Yes. But they are actually really nice. It is obvious that none of them where selected by the trainers."
It's only until its too late that I realise maybe I shouldn't be talking about my alliance that way, it definitely caused these girls to think less of them. But that might be a good thing, people will underestimate them. They might not be selected, but they could all definitely win.
"Oh," Aurora says downheartedly, "I wanted you to be in ours."
"I'm sorry, I can't promise that I will. However, if I break away from the careers in the arena at some time, maybe I could come find you guys? Join your alliance then?"
Aurora smiles and nods at my response, but I can tell that the older two girls from One and Three are more worried about the fact that a career is going to come find them in an arena. I can understand, but I couldn't hurt anyone who means something to this sweet little girl!
"Now, you were going to show me how to use a bow and arrow?" I say to Aurora.
"I think maybe you should stick with the sword, unless you want that to happen again." She laughs, pointing at the arrow in the wall.
"Yeah probably, but maybe I'll see you around?" I laugh out in response, waving to the three and walking over to the careers.
I find them fighting, again, and I can't help but wonder if I would actually be better of with those three...

Isaac Noel (D6M) POV:
"Woah! I thought you said you don't use weapons?" I exclaim in wonder.
"I- I don't!" Rose replies breathlessly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, I think snares count as weapons if they are that deadly." I say, squatting down next to where she sits on the floor.
She just created a snare that caused a 90kg dummy robot to fling up and hang upside down by its ankle. The contraption is made out of some sort of clear rope so nobody would see it coming.
Of course, even if people stepped into the trap, neither Rose nor I would be willing to kill them, they would die of starvation first.
"Okay, now that I have mastered the art of snares, how about we go strategise?" She asks as she stands up.
Not waiting for my answer she walks over a huge net that lines the wall and, without hesitation, skilfully climbs high up the net. She suddenly jumps off the net and easily lands, without a sound, on a sturdy shelf that they stack mysterious boxes on. She sits down behind a large box and disappears from sight. Her hiding skills could get her really far in the games actually, if they can't find her, they can't kill her.
I follow her path, only a little less graciously as her, I stumble up the net and clumsily clamber onto the shelf. I accidentally knock one of the boxes down and it makes a large crash onto the floor. Rose quickly pulls me down next to her so I am hidden too, and we listen as some trainers walk over to return the box to its original placement, not even noticing us.
As soon as we hear the trainers footsteps walk away and the noise level returns to it's usual rowdy volume, we burst out into fits of laughter. I'm not sure what they would have said if they found to kids hiding in their supplies doing who knows what.
I continue to talk and laugh with Rose, smiling the whole time like I usually do when I am around her. I can already tell she will be a great ally and friend in the arena, she will definitely make our time in hell better.
The bad thing is that in the arena she will become my weakness. If anybody kills her, I don't know what I would do, how I would react... I would have a mental break down.
"What's wrong?" She asks me in a worried voice, "I can see by the look on your face something is."
I consider just saying 'it's nothing, I promise,' but I don't think she would believe me...
"What if one of us dies in the arena?" I burst out, "Well, not what if. What happens [when] one of us dies in the arena? I don't know about you but..."
"Shhhhh," She cuts in angrily, "Don't- just don't. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. You are an amazing ally and friend, I do not want to think about losing you. Just forgot that. Just be happy here and now."
Her words make me think, I guess I do need to be happy now, it could be the last chance I get... But, even though she refuses to acknowledge it, at least one of us will die in the arena, maybe both of us. How would I survive in the arena if she died?
I know the answer as soon as I ask myself the question; I wouldn't survive.

Laurel Ashton (D7F) POV:
"Now what?" I ask Lena, trying to get a better grip on the knife.
"I dunno, just -kind of- swing it?" She replies in an amused voice.
I lift the knife up above my head and swing it down, like I have seen other tributes do, only to find myself falling onto the fall when the blade completely misses the dummy. The knife stabs into the floorboards and is completely stuck in their after having my weight land on it.
"Ugh why can't I do this?!" I exclaim in frustration as I lie down onto the cold, hard floorboards.
I hear her laughter next to me and turn my head to jokingly glare at Colleen, who has joined me on the floor after finding so much humour in my downfall. I put my hands to my forehead, a motion that often helps me think. Sometimes I wish I was Colleen, I wish I had had training and was prepared for the terrible games that are now coming my way.
"Laurel, just because your not the best with a knife doesn't mean anything! You are one of the best people here with a knife, your smart, you know stuff about plants and trees! Plus, you have me! Together, nobody can stop us, not even a knife in the floor." She tells me while jumping back to her feet.
She grabs my hands, steps on my feet and pulls me up, forcing me into a standing position. She shoves the knife back into my hand and turns me to face the dummy. I walk up to it and cut the words "I give up." into the stomach of the dummy, causing Lena and I too laugh like maniacs. Everything is funnier when you are going to the Hunger Games in a few days.
"Okay, what should we do now?" I ask her with a salute, which increases her laughter.
"How about we do a funner section," she takes a look around at the large room before deciding where to go next, "How about the camouflage section?"
She doesn't wait for my response before walking over there, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. She picks up one of the paint brushes and starts creating beautiful strokes along her arm, adding more and more colour until it begins to take the shape of the woods I so long to return to in Seven.
"How?" I manage to stutter out the single word.
"Practice, imagination." She says, a large smile on her face.
"Ugh I am so jealous of you! You are so, easygoing! So ready for what is coming while I feel like I am going to have a stroke every second." I ask, feeling a mix of frustration and jealousy.
"Trust me, I am not ready for this. Overall, nobody is. Nobody can know what they throw at us. We can just do our best to survive." She replies in a solemn voice, snapping into worried mode.
Something about what she said confuses me; We can just do our best to survive.
She said 'we', but 'we' can't survive. I could. She could. But 'we'? 'us'? Only one lives in this dog eat dog world. So no, 'we' can't survive.
Now that I think about it, the full truth is hitting me; only one, can live. Lena or me or neither. There is no 'we' in the Hunger Games.

Alliances:

Careers:
Hammer Tricks - D2M
Jensen Cherry - D2F
Glamour Vega - D1M
Mignon Hartney - D4F
Luke Cole - D7M
Mari Carike - D5F
Jesse Weft - D10M

Insiders:
Luke Cole - D7M
Jesse Weft - D10M
Mari Carike - D5F

Survivors:
Electra Ivie - D3F
Talia Cummings - D1F
Aurora Wells - D9F

Romances:
Masano Kal - D11M and Demicola Presquarel - D11F

Hiders:
Rose Nivval - D12F
Isaac Noel - D6M

Secret Killers:
Cole Sanders - D12M
Willow Thorne - D10F

Suicidals:
Jay Mantee - D4M
Strave Carike - D5M

Freedom Fighters:
Laurel Ashton - D7F
Colleen Reyna - D8F

Alone:
Rye Kuna - D9M
Ice Paisley - D8M
Ky Luke - D3M
Callista Andromeda - D6F

Authors Note:

I'm sorry that this chapter took so long! But I have exams coming up so I am sorry to admit that the next one might not come for a few weeks, but it will be private trainings so...yeah...

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK MY PROFILE FOR THE POLL OF FAVOURITE TRIBUTES, it will give me a good idea of who too keep alive... :) mwahahahahahahha