I'd just like to say that the response to the previous chapter was awesome. That chapter was the one I was looking forward to the most to write, and it really paid off. Team E-Scope for the win!

This chapter is not filler. There are some seemingly unimportant details in this chapter that you should be paying attention to...

Hunger Games Host

Blaineley POV

This year is going to be a bit of an experiment. We've never had an aftermath for the Games before, and depending on how many people watch it this could become a regular thing or it could just be forgotten. After the display earlier today in the Arena, now that we're down to the final five I feel it's the best time to do this, particularly after the dramatic events earlier today.

The Capitol exploded after Heather's death. Noah, Izzy, Eva...they did such an amazing job keeping their plans under wraps that the ratings went through the roof! Well-played, well-played...these Games have just been speeding right along, huh? The previous Games lasted for three weeks...I'm rather glad it's been going as smoothly as it has. Chris has informed me that we need to spend as little time talking about Bridgette and DJ as possible. I'm not really sure why, but I'm not questioning it.

The opening music starts to play, and I straighten my mic and walk out onto the stage, making sure to grin widely, laughing and gesturing widely to the audience. "Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind, everyone!"

The trumpet music and the applause die down and I take my seat. "So. How about those Games?"

The sound of their roar is deafening even for my refined ears. "Whoa, whoa, these ears are getting a little old! I can't hear you!" If possible, it becomes even louder. I motion for them to be silent and it takes a full thirty seconds for the crowd to finally stop clamoring, sit down, and listen.

"I must say, it's been quite an interesting turn of events all throughout these Games! Welcome to the AFTERMATH, EVERYBODY! The Gamemakers have kindly engineered a storm to keep the tributes in the same place so that we don't miss anything, but the actual Games are on Channel 9 if you wish to view them. We'll be talking about the remaining tributes and their chances, and we will also be interviewing their mentors and acknowledging the people who made it all possible, the stylists and the escorts!"

More applause. The effect becomes numbing after a while. "BUT FIRST, we have a few other things to do. Now, every year we become attached to these tributes, am I right?" I raise my arms in the air, and the crowd awwws, and nods in assent. "And it wouldn't do to forget about those who have passed away. So please direct your attention to the screen."

I hate this part of the job description, it's boring and is just a summary, but it helps to keep the audience up to speed.

A piano melody starts to play and Lindsay in all her vapid glory appears on the screen, using what little footage we had of her before her untimely demise. "I'm sure plenty of the men in the Capitol fell in love with Lindsay when she first came into the Capitol. Her fashion was spotless, and she probably could have been an amazing stylist given the chance! But sadly, she was killed before we had a chance to really get to know her. She has one older sister named Paula. We offer our condolences."

"Ezekiel Miller, to no one's surprise, placed 23rd. However, fortunately he seemed to be at peace with his demise. After doing some digging we found out that his cousin Lane had actually been picked for the 20th Hunger Games and was also killed during the Bloodbath. Interestingly, Lane's brother disappeared after the conclusion of the Games with no trace left behind, leaving Ezekiel as an only child with no relatives but his parents."

"Sadie, sadly, did not leave too much of an impression on us before she was murdered by Eva during the Bloodbath. As an only child from District 8, we offer our condolences to her parents."

"Katie, um...is the same."

"Classy," a female Gamemaker deadpans from her seat, and laughter echoes through the room. I recognize the speaker as Scarlett. We've spoken a few times and she rather makes me uncomfortable.

"Moving on," I exclaim irritably.

"Owen's death was viewed with sadness but not a whole lot of shock from our sponsors and our audiences. It's a pity because he seemed to be a genuinely nice person, but sadly, Courtney ended up killing him. He is succeeded by his two older brothers."

"Beth scored surprisingly high for her District and possibly could have escaped the Bloodbath, but to some of our sponsors' disappointment was killed by Heather with a flick of her wrist. She seemed to be a smart cookie, but just got the short end of the stick. She does not have any siblings."

"Tyler actually managed to secure himself a few sponsors, but in a rather sad yet hilarious display managed to turn his death into a GIF used by Capitol citizens to depict an epic fail," I say with a note of disdain. The audience grows quiet at this, and I turn to all of them with a serious look on my face. "I would advise you all stop doing this. As 'funny' as it may be, it's still someone's life, and treating it as a joke is uncalled for."

The audience looks incredibly guilty so I move on. "That being said, Geoff's death was probably the most shocking of the Bloodbath deaths, as he had gathered some sponsors for his rather hunky frame and good attitude about things. His death genuinely touched me." I sniffle, and wipe a pretend tear from my eye. "Now we move on from the Bloodbath to the actual meat."

Justin appears on the screen in all his glory. "Justin scored a lot of female sponsors for obvious reasons, but lost much of his support when his behavior in the Arena revealed he was selfish, incredibly arrogant, and incredibly lazy. Much of his supporters transferred their affections to Alejandro after his death. That being said, I'm sure plenty of people have been heartbroken by his death and we offer our genuine condolences to his family."

"As for Harold, his intelligence and quick wit earned him some fans, but in the end was taken out by sheer force of numbers. He seems to have been content with his death, and his family when interviewed has been grieving but have accepted it as well. They are obviously rooting for Izzy, as are many of us!" There's cheers at this. It's not too often that non-Careers are more popular than the Careers.

"Gwen was the next to go, much to our surprise. I feel like her death was one of the more saddening ones, particularly because of how Trent went down the pan after that." There are declarations of assent, of pity. "Gwen was strong. We all admired her, but in the end she just ended up going. But we'll never forget her, will we?"

One could guess the crowd's reaction.

"I thought so. She will be missed. It's almost a pity LeShawna went directly after her, although there was a delay. LeShawna's death was brutal, but I really respect her. Trent was a real son of a bitch." I cover my mouth in shock as the crowd laughs, and I start laughing as well. "LeShawna will be missed, particularly by her family back in District 11."

"Duncan died soon after, and I must say his death was particularly disgusting. I really felt for the guy, and I peg that as around the point that you guys started really paying attention to Trent...in a morbid sort of way. Duncan's parents, Peacekeepers in District 4, are currently mourning, and I know some of us are as well."

Bridgette and DJ are next. Okay. Chris told me not to spend too much time talking about them and I don't plan to do so. "DJ was a kind soul, having volunteered for 12-year old Cameron Wilkins. He didn't do much, but managed to spare himself a slow and bloody death by way of Nightlock."

"Eva gave it to him, though," Scarlett reminds the crowd, a slight hint of smugness in her voice. With that one sentence, the audience is reminded of Eva, and I'm sure the districts watching could view that, a Career helping the pacifists with their goal, as a sign of unity, a sign of rebellion.

"As I was saying," I snap, glaring at the redhead Gamemaker, who remains cool and composed, "DJ will be missed by many. Cameron expressed his gratitude to some of our reporters who ventured out into District 11. His mother is his only remaining family."

"Bridgette was similar, having volunteered for her best friend Dawn, who remains alive and well back in District 7." That's a lie, according to Jo she's gone missing, same as Cameron. I don't know why, and I don't care. "Bridgette went to the Careers, and, same as DJ, killed herself with Nightlock, with the help of Eva," I add the last part in, nodding towards Scarlett. "She will be missed among her family and among our viewers for adding a serenity to the Games lacking elsewhere."

I rub my hands together as Courtney appears on the screen. "Courtney always seemed to give off the calm, confident vibe. She had a plan and she seemed to follow through on it, killing Owen in the Bloodbath. However, she failed to kill Eva and paid the price, stumbling around the rest of the time, and sadly dwindled away as opposed to going out with a bang. She had her fair share of sponsors but sadly paid the price."

"Sierra..." I sigh. "We all remember how we felt when Sierra died, right?" There are somber nods and some melodramatic sobbing that's really almost ridiculous. I sniffle. "I'll admit, I teared up. Her and Cody's alliance was good while it lasted, but seeing her die for him even though he didn't return her affections..." I dab a handkerchief at my eye, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Seeing Cody become a badass after her death was truly inspiring, am I right?"

Enthusiastic cheers and applause fill the room. Really, all five remaining tributes have their supporters, for different reasons.

"Now it's time to talk about Trent," I say gravely, and the applause stops. "I can say, having interviewed him, his insanity came out of nowhere. I guess he must have been emotionally unstable after Gwen's death. But he didn't seem the type and I can safely say that his parents must be feeling incredibly empty right now. We feel your pain. Your son fought hard, and just couldn't handle it. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

I've heard rumors of another factor responsible for Trent's turnout, but I can't comment on rumors.

"And finally, we have Heather. Oh Heather...us folks in the Capitol truly loved you. You will be missed, don't you worry. Heather was snarky, collected, but also showed a more sensitive side after getting muttation acid dumped on her. She kept going but in the end was betrayed by her supposed friend, Eva."

The piano music stops and I turn to it, a grin spreading on my face. "That leaves us with the final five! The sarcastic schemer, Noah!"

A picture of Noah flies onto the screen, dramatic strings music in the background.

"The honorable powerhouse, Eva!" Eva's picture flies onto the screen.

"The eccentric strategist, Izzy!" Izzy's picture joins them and their three-person alliance which has dominated and controlled most of these Games is complete.

"The crafty scrapper, Cody!" Cody joins them.

"And finally, the faux-polite murderer, Alejandro!" I feel like that one sucked, but the Capitol eats it all up as the music swells and the tension rises to a fevered pitch. "These are the five tributes remaining! But before we talk about them, let us introduce the man who made it all possible, the puppetmaster of the Arena, and the mastermind behind the ingenious Arena design we see before us. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome CHRIS MCLEAN!"

Chris walks out onto the stage, waving and pandering to the crowd, before sitting down with that cheap used-car salesman grin plastered all over his face. He's a fake, all right, but a convincing fake. The applause dies down and I start the interview.

"So Chris! How does it feel to have your first Games as Head Gamemaker be a smashing success?"

He laughs. "It feels pretty awesome! Everyone I work with is so cool. I love them all. They're incredibly kind and creative, and have helped me out a lot. Special shout-out to my buddy Chef. Don't ever let him cook for you."

Laughter echoes through the room and I laugh before intaking a breath of air, launching right into my next question. "So, how exactly did you come up with the design for this year's Arena?"

Chris runs a hand through his gelled hair. "Well, the idea just came to me one day, I got it pitched by the others, and it was approved. That's really all there is to it." He turns to the audience. "Oh, and for those of you who were concerned about the Arena crumbling and therefore unable to fulfill its role as a tourist attraction, don't worry. All the pieces have been kept and after the Games are over a reconstruction effort will bring it back exactly the way it was. Your kids' annual field trips will go off without a hitch!"

There's, surprise surprise, applause at this. "Oh, and for those of you who don't know," I say, talking to the crowd, "Chris will be here for the remainder of the Aftermath to provide input on the Final Five. But frankly, Chris, you're boring, and we have some people to introduce and recognize."

"I take offense to that," he replies with a chuckle, and I stand up and look to the audience. "We're going to recognize all the people who helped these tributes make it this far! Would all mentors, escorts, and stylists please rise to their feet? GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE, EVERYBODY!"

Once more, cheers and clapping fill the room as thirteen individuals rise to their feet, bowing. "For Alejandro Burromuerto, we have his older brother Jose Burromuerto as his mentor!" Jose blows kisses to the audience, and bows deeply. "His escort, Austin!" The escort waves. "And his stylist, Topher Calvin!" Topher yells out thanks and applause as he bows in an overly dramatic manner, clearly enjoying his moment in the spotlight.

"For Izzy, her mentor, Mike Summers!" The skinny boy managed to win solely on getting other tributes pissed off at one another and not him. No one knows if his supposed "MPD" is real or just an act to gain sympathy. "Her escort, Emma!" The escort waves. "And her stylist, Anne Maria!" The tall, tanned girl whoops and shouts crazily, thanking the Academy and all that shit.

"For Eva, we have victor-turned-Peacekeeper JO SMITH!" Jo scowls even more than usual, arms folded across her chest. She's high-up in the Peacekeepers thanks to her brutal victory in the Games five years ago and is often responsible for enforcing the laws in the Districts wherever she's needed. She's a personal friend of mine. "Her escort, Josh!" Josh waves excitedly and nudges the blond guy next to him, Billy, I believe, who looks incredibly uncomfortable in this situation. "And finally, her stylist, Sugar!" Sugar irritates me to no end, shaking peoples' hands tearfully and acting as though she'd been the one to win the Games.

"For Noah, we have his mentor, honorable soldier Brick!" Brick's one of the sadder cases, having only killed one person in his Games and forever having been haunted by it. There have been rumors of alcoholism but he maintains a firm public image. "His escort Alicia!" The female escort waves calmly. "And his stylist Ella!"

Ella and Sugar have a notorious rivalry among costume design in the Capitol, and usually Ella wins. This year is no different considering Sugar gave Eva a sea-blue dress. SERIOUSLY? Ella is overjoyed, per the norm.

"And finally, for Cody, he has no real mentor, and he could very well be the first tribute from District 12 to win! Sierra would be proud. His escort, Drake!" Drake bows. "And his stylist, who came down with the flu tonight, and unfortunately could not be here."

"We will be interviewing the mentors and the mentors only!" I yell over the crowd. "The others may be seated! As for Cody, we will simply have to skip him, but rest assured that Chris and I will discuss him and the others in great detail!"

"Rest assured," Chris repeats, a deadpan smile on his face, and we both laugh.

"Okay, Jose, could you take the stage?" I call, and Jose politely pushes through the crowd, smiling calmly as he does so, and in a few moments Chris gets up and lets Jose take his seat.

"I'll be back," Chris jokes, mock-glaring at Jose, who laughs.

"I'm sure, I'm sure," he chuckles.

The audience's chatter dies down and it's silent between me and the elder Burromuerto. "So," I say simply. "Alejandro made it to the final five. Guess winning runs in the family."

"It truly does," Jose replies. "I am proud of Alejandro and what he's accomplished. And if I could tell him anything, it would be that I'm rooting for him, and not to let Heather's death get in the way, rather strengthen him." I can't tell whether he's being fake or not.

"Didn't he say he only signed up to prove you wrong?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "What did he want to prove you wrong about?"

Jose looks around uncomfortably. "I don't think that really matters. He's there, and-"

"Jose, tell me. Why would he join this just to spite you? To one-up you? Why would he do this?"

"I don't really want to-" For once, Jose looks uncomfortable on camera, which is a rarity.

"If you don't tell us, I'll have to go through the trouble of contacting your parents," I snap. "So tell me! How did you treat him?"

Jose sighs. "I treated him with disdain. The little runt was always so arrogant, thinking he was better than me...I had to bring his self-confidence down a few notches. Maybe it's just a case of big-brother bullying. But in all honesty I was surprised he entered the Games. And I think it didn't register to me until the numbers started dwindling down...it didn't register that I was actually..." He pauses, as if trying not to cry. "Proud of him..."

The audience is suitably heartwarmed at this. "I actually want him to win, he deserves to win. I RESPECT him now...I don't want those two shrimps who shouldn't have made it this far to win, I don't want that redheaded bitch to win, and I don't want Eva to win, PERIOD! I never thought I would ever say this, but I'm rooting for you, Alejandro. Believe me."

There's applause at this. "How did you feel when Alejandro hit the final five, but lost everything? Eva, Heather, his supplies...how do you think he'll do now?"

"Well, he's a survivor," Jose says. "I'm not getting my hopes too far up, but I feel like he could outlast and just murder everyone remaining. He's killed plenty already, he only has to kill four more."

"Including Eva," I note. "What's your thought on Eva?"

"Hate her," he replies venomously. "Never thought she'd betray Al so easily. Never would have thought a Career would be so...sentimental."

"You seem to be pretty sentimental right now," I note.

"Well, I'm not in the Games. I find Eva hypocritical. Her little speech to my brother, like she said, will crumble. I think she'll gladly kill her new-found 'friends' if she gets the chance. I'm obviously rooting for my brother. That is all."

"Thank you for your time," I say respectfully, and Jose bows and leaves, applause and cheers following in his wake.

"Next up, we have Mike Summers!" There's applause as the paper-thin boy walks onto the stage, smiling gap-toothed. Mike is...difficult to discern. He could be genuinely nice, but his strategy in the Games involved him killing tributes while their backs were turned and listening as much as he could so he could know what to say to completely destroy another tribute's resolve.

"So Mike, how does it feel to have the first tribute from District 3 since you in the final five?" I ask him.

He chuckles. "It feels great! When talking with Izzy, it seemed as though she didn't really have much to say to me. I told her what I did but she didn't really pay attention...everything she did in the Arena, I can't take credit for it. It was all her and Noah who organized it. And I must say...I kind of respect her for it."

"Did you think she was full of herself or something?" I chuckle.

Mike laughs nervously. "Uh, yeah. She wouldn't even tell me what she had planned. I mean, it hurt that she didn't trust me, but I guess she'd had some time to think about it...I talked with Elissa about it, you know, Harold's mentor. She seemed impressed, especially considering Izzy kicked me in the balls before we'd even left District 3."

There's laughter at this, including from me and Mike. "Is there anything you'd like to say about her strategy? Any criticisms?"

"I have a few," Mike continues. "Firstly, she waited far too long. Phase Two should have begun around the time when Bridgette and DJ died. It would have been easy, and there still would have been more tributes left to kill. But here...they have three out of the five remaining tributes left in the Arena, meaning that it pretty much ruins the point. Plus, three people to a team is too much, and I can only see it ending up with Eva killing them both if they manage to kill Alejandro and Cody."

"That makes sense," I note. "How about praise?"

Mike chuckles. "Telling no one about it was the best thing they could have done. No one in the Capitol can keep a secret, not even me, and keeping it under wraps, with only cryptic comments every now and then made Eva's turn truly shocking for me. And I sincerely hope that Izzy can pull through and win the whole thing."

The audience claps. "Thank you Mike. I'm sorry these interviews are so short, but we really do just need to keep things moving. Up next, Jo Smith!"

To much applause, Jo takes the stage indifferently, not really caring one way or the other about the crowd. Her demeanor here rather reminds me of Eva's in the Arena, cold and calculating, but minus the somehow...human aspect of Eva.

"Jo! You probably were one of the few victors to actually move to the Capitol, and we certainly love having you here! To hear that you wanted to become a Peacekeeper...it was honestly unheard of but who were we to deny you? So, how are you doing?" I ask, keeping professional even though I'm usually much less formal with her.

Jo rolls her eyes. "I'm keeping things cool. Eva made it this far but I don't want her to get all sentimental. I appreciate her ability to work with Izzy and Eva in order to blindside pretty much the entire Arena, however, the plan was sloppily executed and it's only a matter of time before she turns on them and kills them. To be perfectly blunt, I think that her little speech to Jalapeno Burrito or whatever his name was was to gain sponsor support."

Jo has always ignored what the Capitol audience wants to hear, and comments often on the staged feel of the whole thing. I actually rather respect that.

"Do you know this for a fact, or are you just speculating?" I ask her out of genuine curiosity."

Jo eyes her watch. "These aren't going to take too long, are they? I've got a train to catch soon. Anyway, I do not know it for a fact but if Eva plans to win this, she needs to remember that her little supposed 'friendship' is going to be short-lived. But if she really does care for them..." Jo grits her teeth. "I can't say that she'll make it out alive. For once, I have no idea what the turnout is going to be. We're just going to have to wait and see."

"Okay. How about your thoughts on the other tributes?"

"Al is going to get sloppy," Jo yawns. "Cody's a weakling who can't outrun the others forever. Noah will probably just behind his friends like the sniveling rat that he is. I sincerely hope Eva knows better than to actually connect to them. She could kill them both in less than a minute if she wanted to. It's just the matter of wanting to that concerns me."

"Well, thank you for your time, Jo! I understand that you don't have as much free time as the rest of us do. Will you be here if Eva wins?"

"No," she says, standing up to applause. "Sadly, I'll be away around the time the Games end. It's unfortunate but there's something I need to take care of. Classified. You understand."

"Of course," I bow my head respectfully. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Jo!" There are whoops and cheers that Jo blatantly ignores before walking off the stage. Once she's off, I see her place her hand on her gun before disappearing from my view. I take a glance at the Gamemakers and take a look at Chef and Scarlett, the only two apart from Chris I've really talked to.

I'll have to ask what Jo's doing later.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our final victor to the stage, Brick MacArthur!"

Brick walks onto the stage, politely waving to everyone before taking his seat. Brick is generally well-liked among the Capitol, although as I said his rumors of alcoholism are saddening. Having one of his tributes make it this far should have brought him out of his slump, I'd think.

The applause dies down and I clear my throat before beginning the interview. "Brick! It's always a pleasure. How does it feel having a tribute in the final five?"

"To be perfectly honest, ma'am, it is both exciting and astounding," Brick chuckles. "To be perfectly honest and slightly rude, I didn't expect Noah to make it this far. However, he did give me an idea of what his plan was. His '1' score I found an incredibly novel way to draw attention to him, and as lazy as he is, he made it this far and is incredibly intelligent. In fact, I'd be happy if any of his team won."

"A lot of us would agree with you," I gesture to the audience, who cheer. "So how about Courtney? Are you saddened by her death?"

"Courtney was a fighter to the end, and I respect that," he replies. "She didn't ever, ever give up, and in the end she just ran out of luck. She and Noah were not the best of friends, however, and I can't imagine Noah being too...worried about her death."

"You can say that again," I chuckle. "What are your thoughts on Noah's actions during the Games? Particularly his alliance with Izzy?"

"Partnering with Izzy was possibly the smartest thing he could have done," Brick replies easily. "In fact, he'd confided in me that he made an alliance with her, although not the minor detail about Eva being involved. Apparently, Noah's supposed laziness during the training was a ploy to have potential people come to him as opposed to the other way around. Izzy was the only one who noticed, and then we all know what happened next."

"Yeah...if you could say one thing to them, what would it be?"

Brick sighs. "Don't lose your humanity. Remember that there's more to life than just survival." He shrugs. "That's really all I have to say."

"Well, it's been a pleasure chatting with you once again, Brick," I chirp happily, and Brick stands and bows as the audience applauds. "Always a pleasure!"

"I'll be here all week," Brick shrugs, and walks off the stage. Not really sure what that means.

"As for Cody, he has no mentor but was helped by his escort Drake in order to get through. Sadly, Drake is uncomfortable in front of Capitol crowds, so we will not be interviewing him today. Would Chris McLean please take the stage?"

"Gladly," Chris chuckles, walking onto the stage once again to much uproarious applause. He takes his seat. "Now that we've talked briefly with all the mentors, Blaineley and I are going to give our personal opinion on the final five and their chances in the Games as this year's drama comes to a close. So let's get started."

"Let's talk about Cody first, considering we didn't have a chance to interview his mentor," I suggest, and Chris grins even wider.

"Great idea!" Moments from Cody's time in the Arena show up on the screen, from him and Sierra trudging through the woods to them talking with the pacifists and him after Sierra's death outsmarting the Careers and securing his pack.

"Cody didn't really get on a whole lot of people's radar to start out with," Chris yawns in a definitely theatrical way. "I certainly didn't think much of him. His stalling the interview was interesting but it really meant people didn't get a feel for who he was. Then he and Sierra did a whole bunch of random crap, managing to avoid most of the tributes, which is lucky for them but also meant they didn't get much screentime."

"We still were rooting for him, and once he and Sierra managed to figure out the secrets of the Arena, I guess it was only a matter of time before Cody took advantage of it," I chuckle. "He didn't do much before Sierra's death, but interestingly after Sierra's death he managed to bluff the Careers into getting his pack and escaping with only an arrow wound to the shoulder."

"Which he's treated since then and is currently holed up under a tree in the rain," I add, and Chris laughs.

"I cried when Sierra died," I lie, and turn to the crowd. "We truly cared for them, but seeing Cody take a level in badass is all worth it."

"Meh," Chris shrugs. "People die. It shouldn't concern me."

"Well, if he'd moped around after she kicked the bucket, I don't think he would have gotten nearly as much support as he does now. But more on that later. Overall, what would you say are Cody's chances?"

Chris sighs. "I think that he has about maybe a 20% chance of winning. With Al still mourning over Heather's death, the dude could probably take him out for the count, but then he'd have the whole of the 'dream team' to deal with. And with Eva barreling towards him..." Chris raises two fingers across his throat.

"I think he has more of a chance than that!" I say optimistically. "Eva took five out of the six packs at the Cornucopia for her team but Cody took the remaining, which contains a rope snare, a bow and arrow, and an actual shovel, which could prove useful if he wants to make more pitfalls! I think he'll just hide and let Alejandro get killed before wearing down Izzy's team by just staying out of their way. Three against one, it would be a gamble but maybe he could make it out alive."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Chris shrugs. "That's enough about Cody. Let's move on to Alejandro."

Alejandro's greatest moments come onto the screen, and this time it is much more eventful. Beheading Harold after ordering Courtney to kill him, torturing LeShawna, betraying Justin, saving Heather from the chameleon muttations, and finally him crying over Heather's death.

"Quite the paradox he is," I comment, and the casual way I say it makes some people laugh.

"I'll say," Chris chuckles. "I like this guy. I think he has a fair chance of winning if he can get far in the Game. How many people has he killed? Let's see...Justin, Harold, and Courtney are the only ones who he's killed directly, though by leading the Careers he's also killed Ezekiel, Beth, Owen, Katie, Sadie, Geoff, um...LeShawna, Bridgette, and DJ. I don't think I'm missing everyone."

"Incredibly charismatic," I say. "Probably runs in the family. From what our cameras have seen of Alejandro after Heather's death, he seems to be losing his touch, although not turning insane like Trent did. He just seems...sloppy. Off. I think that is what could lead to his downfall. His emotions getting the better of him."

"But he just looked so cool about everything before that!" Chris almost fanboys. "He got Justin in the neck, finally silencing that smug son of a bitch. I love how he speaks so politely toward everyone but hates them all!"

"I can appreciate that," a different voice says, and Scarlett smirks. I quickly scowl at her to signal that she needs to shut up, we're in the middle of an interview.

"So what do YOU think his chances are?" I ask.

"The dude's super smart, and if Cody can keep his emotions in check and kick ass, then Alejandro can definitely keep his emotions in check and kick ass. It's that simple. He can outsmart Eva and just plain kill everyone else. Easy."

"Well, that's enough about Alejandro considering you seem to have a man-crush on him," I deadpan, to general laughter. "Let's move on to Noah and Izzy, since they've been bickering like an old married couple the entire Games."

Noah and Izzy's scenes play on the screen, including Noah figuring out the Arena, Izzy killing Gwen, the two outsmarting the Careers, and Noah killing Trent.

"I'm honestly not surprised Noah's still in the game," Chris shrugs. "I mean, he intentionally scored the lowest he could. If we gave him a high score from it, BAM, people will notice him! But since we gave him a 1, people still noticed him! And his interview only furthered his popularity, I believe, as does his alliance with Izzy."

"I've met a lot of people rooting for them to win, but Noah and Izzy just seem to both be incredibly intelligent," I say. "I think their parents are proud of them for making it this far. What about Izzy, what do you think of her?"

"They're pretty much the same," Chris shrugs. "They work really well together as a team, and now with Eva on their side they should only be even more dangerous. But their team is a bit of a glass cannon. They only have a few shots before they break."

"Noah and Izzy have provided much of the 'Hunger Games' Greatest Laughs' segment we show every year at the Victory Party," I note. "And it's much more tasteful than people laughing at Lindsay throwing up and blowing up or Tyler falling to his death."

The audience once again feels uncomfortable. "How do you think they'll fare?" I ask Chris.

"Well, since Eva's with them now, how about we talk about her first before talking about their chances as a whole?" he suggests.

"That sounds reasonable enough!" I say. "Now it's time for one of the most talked-about and dramatic contestants in the whole show...Eva."

"Eva, man," Chris grins, shaking his head. "What can we say about Eva?"

"A lot," I say deadpan, prompting laughter. "But let's start with how we saw her before we knew where her loyalties lay."

Eva's greatest moments, including smashing Sadie in the face, mercy-killing LeShawna, yelling at Alejandro, giving the Nightlock to Bridgette and DJ, and of course, killing Heather and brutally putting Alejandro in his place.

"Well, I for one thought Courtney was going to actually kill her," Chris notes. "But all in all, I've heard that Eva actually has some anger management issues, and she didn't get angry enough at her teammates to murder them once. She mostly remained cold, which means she must have been restraining all her thoughts. Yeesh. The girl's got guts."

"I agree," I say, and I actually mean it this time. "Eva seemed to just be Alejandro's loyal attack dog who showed some signs of biting back. But her supposed 'friendship' with Heather actually convinced me. I had no idea it was fake. Looking back on it, she did talk about how people either were afraid of her or tried to use her, even back then..."

"Her friendship with Duncan was interesting while it lasted," Chris notes lazily. "They seemed to respect one another."

I shrug. "Duncan got torn apart by butterflies and then...well...we all know what Trent did." I can almost feel the queasiness radiating from the crowd at bringing back that particular memory. "But anyway, about Eva. I felt like her giving Bridgette and DJ the Nightlock was actually a good sign of Panem's inter-district unity."

"I agree!" Chris says, but the way he says it makes me think he's trying to latch onto that idea and work from there. "I agree! I feel like all too often the Games make us forget that we're all one nation. But the truth is, whether we're in the Districts, or in the Capitol, we're all one nation, and we stand together."

There's applause at this. I'm well aware that there are murmurs and whispers blowing through the districts, particularly Districts 7 and 11. It's the least I can do to help keep the peace in the small way I can.

...I really wonder where Jo's going...

"So how about her alliance with Noah and Eva? How do you think that will last?" I ask.

"Like I said," he shrugs. "Glass cannon. They'll fall apart soon, but that doesn't mean the Capitol can't enjoy their presence while we can. I think they could easily kill Al and Cody, but then the three friends would have to square off. And considering Eva's just joined their group and Noah and Izzy have been together for a week...I'd say it would be Noah and Izzy versus Eva. And I have a feeling Noah would be the first to go."

"So you're thinking Izzy or Eva are going to win?" I ask.

"Well, I hope Alejandro wins," he reminds me. "But unless he can get his act together and kick some ass, I'm rooting for Eva."

"I remain neutral," I tell him. "At this point, anyone could win and I'd be fine with anyone winning. All of the tributes remaining have their strengths and weaknesses, and we'll just have to see how it plays out."

The audience applauds and both Chris and I rise to our feet. "It's been an interesting week, and the 23rd Hunger Games has seemed to fly by in no time at all. We're at the final five, and tomorrow morning the storm will stop and the Games will continue. It's been a pleasure, but before you go, we have an offer for you!"

"We're looking to see which tribute is the most popular with the Capitol. If you vote, the person with the most votes will receive a special gift from our sponsors. No guarantees that said gift will significantly help your favorite tribute win, but hey! You can get more involved anyway. I'm Blaineley Stacey Andrews O'Halloran,"

"And I'm Chris McLean," Chris grins.

"And this is the 23rd Hunger Games! Signing off!"

There really is a poll on my profile that you can look at, and the person with the most votes really will get a gift, but it won't affect the story, it's just a fun little thing.

Next chapter we'll be back in the Games, and we'll see exactly how this new dynamic with longer POVs works out.

Shoutout to Ponythekidrs for the names of the three interns/escorts. I was running low on characters to use, and you should definitely check her stuff out.

Ciao.