A/N It's time for launch. The bloodbath will happen soon. Some will fall. Enjoy this last pre-games chapter. Sorry that this was so late.

Note: Everything after Aerial's POV happens at roughly the same time.

Another Note: The reason why I sometimes have short POVs is because I'm only writing some POVs to make sure everyone has the same amount. Once we're in the arena, I'm writing from whoever works best.

Artemis Serenity, District Eight Female

Fontana, my stylist, nudges me awake.

"It's a big day!" she says, smiling.

Smiling. How could she? I could DIE today, and she's smiling? I kick her, not able to resist the impulse. To be honest, I'm not even trying. She gets up from the ground puttering and furious, but she can't lay a hand on me and she knows it. She just stalks out of the room, telling me to follow her. Amery is already up and is sitting on the couch, waiting for his turn to leave.

"So.." he says, "I guess this is goodbye… until the arena."

"Yeah," I reply, "I guess so."

"Then I'll see you then," he says.

"Yeah, see you then."

Everything feels so unreal. I've seen death before back home in District Eight, but this is different. Back then, I wasn't doing the dying.

Back then.

I'm already speaking of it as if it were a lifetime ago, and, to be honest, it does feel like it. It's like I'll never go home, as if I were dead. I could be dead in hours.

Mere hours.

Sariose Brooke, District Four Female

Today is the day. The day of the games. I'm going to have to KILL people. Kill. How can I do that? But I have to. If I don't I'll get kicked out of the Career alliance and Larz will suffer too. I can't win. I'm stuck in between two scary choices, and I choose to kill. I have to. If I don't, I'll die. Larz will die. My parents and Sirena will see me die. But killing…

Wade told me to think of tributes as barriers, robots out to kill me. As he said, "Don't get to know them. It'll only make it harder to kill."

But it's too late. I know sweet Stream from Six. She's hopeful, now that her backbrace is gone. I know cute Sunnoria from Eleven. She always wanted to play with the other girls, but her father wouldn't let her. I know observant and kindhearted James from Ten. He's cold on the outside, but inside, he really wants to help people. How can I kill these people? How can I think of them as robots? They have every right to life as I do.

This is when I finally realize it. That's the entire point of these Games. They want to bring out our most selfish nature. They want us to stay separated and selfish.

It's not about the killing. It's not about the gore. It's about tearing us apart, inside and out.

And now all I feel for them is hatred.

Coil Ampar, District Five Male

I've been up earlier than any of the other tributes. I guess Aaran wanted a strategy session. Aerial and her stylist whatever-her-name-is are going up to the roof now. I'm leaving pretty soon.

My mentor sits across the table from me.

"Here's my final advice," he says in his usual quiet, low voice, "Do whatever it takes to win. I know that you know it, but that's all there is to it." I nod. "In the games, you are no longer a normal human being. You become an animal. All they want is for tributes to show their most animalistic side. Are you following me?"

"Not really..."

"You know why the Careers don't always win?"

"Because if you look at the odds-"

"Don't tell me about the odds. What about THEM makes them lose?"

"Bad luck?"

"There's more to it than that. They care too much about honor. They don't understand that the you that goes in, the you inside the games, and the you that comes out are three different people. In the games, ethics don't exist. You do whatever it takes to survive. Understand now?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now I think your stylist is waiting for you."

Aerial Revere, District Five Female

My stylist Euphemius and I stand on the roof, waiting for the hovercraft to come. As usual, he's yapping and jabbering about something, but though it's only been a few days, I've learned to ignore him. At first, it's quiet, with only the sound of the wind, but all of a sudden, a hovercraft appears above us out of thin air. A ladder is lowered, and when I grab on, I'm frozen by some electric current. The ladder is then pulled up into the hovercraft, where a woman waits with a syringe.

"Your tracker," she says, "It'll be best if you don't resist."

I can resist? I don't see how. They haven't turned off the current and I'm still frozen. Once the woman leaves, I'm released, and Euphemius is calling me with his obnoxious voice.

"Let's go, Aerial! We have food waiting for us!"

I slowly drag my feet out of spite.

"Oh well, do that if you wish! We can always order more!"

Fine. I pick up my pace. e soon reach a table laden with breakfast. I force myself to eat, though I'm not hungry. Hunger isn't your top priority if you're about to enter a deathmatch.

"Don't look so sad," he says. I snort. "C'mon, smile. Do you want a pill?"

"What?" I say, curious, "A pill?"

"Don't look so surprised! These mood-altering pills! They help you stay happy! They're all the rage."

Though I'm revolted by the idea of being happy 24/7, it's nice to see that he's trying to help. I drop the scowl for a moment. "No thanks."

Larz Bolton, District Four Male

When we get close to the arena, the windows are dimmed and blacked out to keep anyone from seeing the arena. This is it. This is what I've trained and lived for. To win the Games. To make my dad proud. To give Marney new opportunities. For the first time, I realize that I could die. The thought has crossed my mind before, but I always ignored it. Now that I'm so close, it finally dawns on me that I could be lying in a bloody heap in a few hours. The hovercraft begins to descend and stops, and my stylist Domius leads me into and through the catacombs underneath the arena. He stops before a door with my name on it, and we enter into a white room, clean and spotless. I take a shower, and then he helps me with my asssigned clothes.

"They're all purpose," he remarks, "The arena could be anything."

I don't reply. I'm so close to death. What would happen if I died? My father would grieve would move on. I know he would, he isn't the type to linger in sadness. But Marney… she'd be crushed. Tess would've given me the chance for nothing.

I blink back a tear.

What're you doing? You've been trained for this. Stop being so weak.

"Are you alright?" Domius asks, concern in his voice.

"I'm good," I say, smiling. "Never been better."

"Then-"

A female voice interrupts him. "Tributes, please prepare for Launch in 30... 29..."

I step onto the metal circular platform in the corner of the room. I ball my hands into fists.

This is it. What I was made for.

Satine Steel, District Two Female

When my stylist leads me into my launch room, he tells me to take a shower and get dressed in the uniform. I do so, all the time thinking of the blood that I'm about to shed. I've waited for this for so long. I was born for this. My father was, my mother was, and I am too. I will be the first victor with both Victor parents. A wicked smile spreads across my face. My stylist offers me some food, but I don't need it. I'm not hungry, and I'll have sponsors and the Cornucopia bounty. I just have to keep myself under control. No freaking out. No hallucinations.

A voice tells me it's time for launch and to steo onto the pedestal. I do so, jittery with excitement and anticipation. The fun is about to begin.

Sunnnoria Millar, District Eleven Female

I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die.

I can't win, I can't win, I can't win.

I'm doomed, I'm doomed.

This is the end.

A female voice calls out for launch to begin.

"No!" I scream, "Noo!"

I can't stop crying. I'm gonna die. I can't win. I'm doomed.

Maybe if I don't go in I'll live. I sit down and refuse to budge.

"Go!" my stylist commands.

"No!"

He picks me up. As much as I squirm and kick and resist, he won't let me down!

He places me down and holds me there until a glass tube comes down and cuts him off.

This is the end.

Ryde Hurst, District Six Male

Launch is about to happen. I'll have to do it. I'll have to knock Ellery out quickly.

The logic is simple. The only two in our group that can use are weapon are Durian with a scythe and Ellery with an axe. Scythes aren't always available, while axes have been in the Games for as long as I can remember. So, Ellery is the main threat within our group.

I just have to take him out at the Cornucopia. Do it quickly. Don't think too much about it. Maybe the guilt will go away.

It's still wrong

No, it isn't. If I don't kill him, he'll kill me.

A voice tells us that it's time for launch, and I step onto the pedestal.

This is the right thing to do.

This has to be the right thing to do.

This must be the right thing to do.

Then why to I feel so guilty?

A/N Next week, the bloodbath will happen. However, there's something… unusual about this one.

I'm in a big rush, and I don't want to delay this any longer, so I'm going to skip the responses, sorry.