"Shattered Illusions"

A/N: Surprise update. Gonna be moving to weekly updates from here on out. I've got a decent stockpile going, and I'm excited to get this story running and into the Games!

~I'm not scared of the dark

I'm not running, running, running

No, I'm not afraid of the fall

I'm not scared, not at all~

Coira Thompson, 33, Hunger Games Interviewer

It was all surreal still. She could remember so vividly her first day seeing the chariots. She was seven years old, and was sitting in the exact booth she was in now, next to Apollo and watching as the seventy-sixth Hunger Games began. Even back then everything seemed off. It didn't feel like reality. That feeling only got stronger when it was her that was on camera, microphone attached to her chest as she would announce the arrival of the freshest batch of tributes to be offered up as a sacrifice.

It certainly didn't feel real now. Fabio Flickerman was beside her, the loud-mouthed man having a flair for the dramatic, and doing a good job of representing the typical Capitolite viewer and where their gaze landed during the chariots. That didn't make it feel any less gross.

She was in the booth, though. Coira Thompson, Hunger Games Interviewer, second year running. She still wasn't certain why she was taking on the task. It wasn't a job she had ever even wanted in the first place. It had been thrusted upon her during the one-hundred and first, and now it was happening again. It felt wrong to her, walking down that path that Apollo had already treaded. But Jaycen's words haunted her. This was her responsibility, one way or another. What that meant, she would have to find out for herself.

For now, she didn't feel like she had some grand responsibility or purpose. Coira traded lame jokes and quips with Fabio as they prepared for District One to enter. They joked about first impressions, mostly at the expense of Arkus' declaration of immortality following his volunteering, and made menial predictions about chariot outfits. Coira was tuning herself out, keeping an eye on Connie. Her daughter was thrilled to be in the booth, her head planted against the glass window as she peered down, waiting for the gates to open.

Just as Coira was running out of meaningless topics to tread through, District One finally made their entrance. Troy was already a star, and his outfit only accentuated that. The duo were both made into mythological gods and goddesses. Troy stood confident, exuding strength in his scant clothing that made sure to reveal his muscular frame. Blue paint in the shape of lightning bolts were tattooed across his forehead and arms, and he held a hammer high in the air, screaming and cheering out in excitement as he pumped up the crowd.

Vivian was nearly lost in the commotion beside him, but their outfit was more than enough to draw attention to the other half of the District One team. They were dressed in a beautiful, heavenly dress that seemed to be made out of barely held together clouds, flowers, and dirt. They didn't offer any sort of smile or excitement, but they kept their head held high, acknowledging the crowd cheering for them. That ended up being enough to earn them their fair share of attention and love, hundreds of flowers thrown in the direction of the District One team.

The District Two duo was nearly lost in the excitement of Vivian and Troy, but their outfits managed to steal enough attention. The two were unified, as odd of an image as that was. Talon stood tall and confident, and while Lana was far shorter, she matched his confidence, the two both wearing a casually confident smirk, eyes set forward, too cool to so much as notice the crowd. Both were donned in tattered, worn-in leather and cloth, war paint covering their entire bodies. Talon leaned on the hilt of a longsword, while Lana held two steel daggers with a reverse grip. While District One looked stunning, District Two looked deadly.

District Three lost some of the momentum, but managed to keep up the energy thanks to the star-power of the two charismatic tributes. Ty and Julie both were beyond charming, winning over the crowd with their unified charm. They were both dressed as university students, slacks and white button-ups that they both left unbuttoned at the top, their ties both laying loose and untied around their necks. Their outfits faded to the background as the two put in work to win over the crowd, waving, winking, blowing kisses, posing, and laughing. Both of them were clearly having a blast being on stage, and were naturals at what they were doing. The crowd reaction was shockingly just as enthusiastic as the Careers.

The final Career district was quick to earn back the attention as they entered the spotlight. Coira grimaced inwardly at the outfit, even as outwardly she put up a front of shocked excitement and intrigue. Fabio took over, gushing about how they were brilliant, naturally. Connie stuck out her tongue, turning her attention back to the District Three duo.

Aphrodite and Logan were dressed in nothing but a fishnet that did little to cover up their revealing bits aside from a few small knots that barely obscured the view. The crowd went wild at the outfit, the crowd favorite Aphrodite winning even more popularity as she winked and blew kisses, striking revealing poses. Logan went nearly entirely unnoticed, shifting uncomfortably as he shuffled away from his district partner.

The crowd went noticeably quieter once the inner districts were finished with their chariots. District Five put in a lame, uninspired outfit, the two dressed as suburbanites. Both were given a suit and tie, as well as a briefcase, which did little to accentuate Nikola's respectable attempts at charm. River looked admittedly cute in the getup which was, possibly intentionally, much too large for her, and that salvaged the district enough to make it at least forgettable.

Both the District Six tributes were ecstatic in their pilot outfits, showing more enthusiasm for the tried and true chariot outfit of Six than any of the crowd. Still, their excitement was contagious, with Julian jumping up and down in place and Earhart waving their arms out, pretending they were an airplane. They managed to slide firmly into the forgettable category.

District Seven offered some more flavor. Juniper was stunning, dressed as a wood nymph, with a forest green dress covered in apple blossoms and topped with a flower crown. She was breathtaking, and played the part admirably, winning the most favor from the crowd since Aphrodite. Vesa could count his lucky stars to be overlooked, dressed lamely as a lumberjack, and looking thoroughly annoyed with his current situation, shoulders slumped as he avoided gazing at the crowd.

District Eight's outfit was odd, the duo dressed as gangsters, complete with a grey mafia aesthetic, Tommy guns slung over their shoulders and cigars hanging from their mouths. They might have been forgettable if not for how confusing the outfit was for District Eight, which, combined with Udon's grumpy demeanor, was enough to firmly cement themselves as the worst chariot of the night. Inesa at least put in a respectable attempt to salvage the situation, waving and smiling, but the sweet demeanor didn't go well with her outfit, and only drew attention to how odd and out of place it was.

Lucky for both of them, District Nine blew them out of the water, easily claiming the position of worst outfit of the night. Both Maya and Arkus were dressed as silos of grain, and the outfits didn't allow either of the tributes any mobility. Both of them were stuck in place, unable to move, hardly able to even lift their hand up to wave at the crowd. Arkus was screaming some incomprehensible babbling, while Maya just smiled sheepishly, clearly aware of the ridiculousness of her outfit.

District Ten went back to the normal outfits, and benefited from it. The two were both dressed as cowboys, and while Persephone sulked and shot daggers at the crowd, Jamie put his best face forward. He shyly waved out at the crowd, the youngest of the twenty-four tributes looking thoroughly adorable in his outfit, earning a respectable amount of applause and "awws" from the audience.

District Eleven was fairly forgettable, Ciera thrown in a sunflower outfit which covered her entire body except for her face. It might have looked cute with a younger kid, but with the eighteen-year-old woman it looked a bit silly and childish, particularly next to Marquise. The oldest of the tributes looked the part, dressed as a field-hand and looking calm as he stood in his chariot, looking completely unfazed by the crowd. He didn't even seem to notice the audience, whistling as he fiddled with the gloves on his hands.

Finally, District Twelve topped off the night with their typical mediocrity. Thanks to the stigma behind "the girl on fire," coal miner was just about the only available option. Even the charismatic, lovable crowd favorite Denver was unable to inspire much enthusiasm, as much as he tried. He managed to earn some meager applause, but most quickly switched their attention back to the more interesting outfits that the night had offered.

The president gave his usual speech, the chariots did one last lap, and then circled into the training center. Coira let out a relieved breath as the doors closed behind them. The feed cut away from Coira, and she shuffled around her papers, mentally preparing herself for the next few hours of non-stop Games coverage that was about to follow.

She knew what it was she was getting herself into. For her, getting invested in the lives of the twenty-four tributes wasn't like getting attached to a television character. The reality of what the Games were was laid out far too clearly in front of her, the lives of twenty-four children hanging precariously in the balance, all ready to fall off the tightrope they were balancing on and into oblivion.

Connie tugged at her shirt, and Coira forced a smile onto her face as she looked down at her beaming daughter. This was the world that she was immersed in, and she didn't get to abandon it just because it was hard. As much as she hated to admit it, Jaycen was right. The world needed people who cared. She certainly wasn't perfect, but she cared. And maybe that could be enough to start to change things.

Talon Olympus, 18, District Two

The most pivotal moment of the entire Hunger Games was about to take place. If Talon were able to be scared, this would be a moment that would have him quaking in his boots. Or at the very least give him a slight burst of nervous energy. He felt none of that, though, only a calming sense of purpose as the District One and Four duos congregated around his chariot.

Now that the instructions their stylist had given her had been fulfilled, Lana seemed unsure what to do with herself. She hopped out of the chariot, wandered around aimlessly for a moment, then settled on standing beside Talon. She held tightly to her daggers, which Talon decided was a nice touch. The other Careers were playing dress up, while he and Lana were equipped with (dulled) weapons and intimidating war paint. He could chalk that up as an early victory.

Logan and Aphrodite joined them first, Logan looking minorly uncomfortable while Aphrodite winked at him and stretched out her muscles. Talon didn't bother to even pretend to be interested. He stopped himself short of snorting and turning away, though. His omnipresent smirk probably gave her a certain impression that wasn't truthful, but he couldn't particularly care.

Vivian came up to the group with crossed arms, while Troy raised his arms in the air and cheered excitedly. "Greetings, fellow warriors!" He exclaimed.

Talon raised an eyebrow, finding himself amused, mostly at the confusion that overtook the rest of the group.

"Yeah, whatever," Aphrodite said. "Anyways, so, little girl is out of the pack, and we replace him with the crazy boy that volunteered, right?"

"Little girl stays, for now," Talon said firmly. He locked gazes with Aphrodite, who looked him up and down in distaste.

"Didn't realize the Careers were a babysitting service," she said snarkily.

Talon smiled, then kicked himself away from the chariot and into the center of the circle that had formed. "So, introductions, shall we? Why did you lot all volunteer?"

"What, is this an interview?" Logan said darkly.

Talon's smile widened, and he shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah."

Troy interjected before anyone else was given a chance to protest. "I volunteer to fight and die in honor, battling true warriors!" His chest was puffed outwards, his chin lifted as he wore a confident smile.

"No way, really?" Talon asked in an excited tone. "I volunteered for the same reason!"

Troy looked pleasantly surprised. "Truly?"

"No, of course not, that's fucking stupid," Talon said bluntly. Troy deflated.

"So you got some great reason then, asshole?" Vivian spoke up for the first time, arms crossed as they glared at Talon.

Talon chuckled and went back to his spot at the edge of the circle, leaning against his chariot. Lana was now staring daggers at Vivian, her actual daggers clutched tightly in her hands. Talon made note of that development, then decided to defuse the situation.

"Just trying to keep the conversation interesting, don't mind me," he said casually. "Can't blame a guy for wanting to get to know his potential allies, can you? No hard feelings, huh big guy?"

"No hard feelings at all, friend!" Troy exclaimed, clasping his hands together and offering a hearty laugh. Talon's bewilderment continued to grow, and he wondered for a moment if the man was actually genuinely like that. It seemed almost unbelievable, but then again, these Games had already provided more than a few improbable twists. "I must correct you though, friend," Troy said, developing a more serious expression and tone. "I'm afraid I will not be standing side by side with you all as allies in the arena."

And on queue, improbable twists.

Even Vivian seemed shocked, their expression turning from distrust to disbelief as they turned to their district partner. Troy continued to explain. "As I stated, I volunteered to fight true warriors, of which you all are. The children from the other districts are no true warriors, and fighting them is no true fight at all. I look forward to battling you all, our fight will be fierce, a battle worthy of retelling in the halls of Valhalla!"

With that he turned and walked away, leaving no room for questions (of which there were many) or responses (of which there were few). They were all left shell shocked, nobody saying anything for a long moment as Troy marched over to his pair of mentors. Vivian took a moment to recollect themselves, then trailed after Troy, stumbling over their feet as they hurried to catch up.

"Well, what the fuck was that?" Aphrodite asked, turning between Logan and Talon.

"That was District One walking away from the Career alliance, it seems like," Talon hummed. "Again," he added. On reflection, he decided that shouldn't have been shocking. Three years in a row now of District One going their own way. It was practically tradition.

"So, another year of a three-person Career alliance, then?" Logan proposed.

"Hm?" Talon asked, turning to the District Four duo. "Oh, you mean you two?" He shrugged. "No thanks."

"What do you mean, no thanks?" Aphrodite demanded. "We're Careers, you don't just get to single handedly decide who's in and who's out."

Talon looked to his right, then to his left, and for good measure leaned around the chariot and looked behind him. "Well, I think I just did. But if it really makes you feel better, you two can go ahead and call yourselves the Careers, and pretend that you two kicked me out."

"So what, you're gonna go into the arena with a kid instead?" Aphrodite mocked, still looking to be in utter disbelief.

"Maybe." Talon shrugged. "I'll see what else the outliers have to offer, and see if I can form a Career pack that's, well, frankly better than any pack with you would be."

Logan stepped up, a hard gleam in his eye. "You're gonna regret this, stranger," he threatened.

Talon continued to smile, scrunching one side of his face up. "I somewhat doubt that."

With that, it was his turn to walk away. Lana trailed after him, the District Four duo left in stunned silence as they stood awkwardly in place, exchanging confused glances with one another. Lana looked up at Talon with a peculiar gaze, tilting her head to the side.

"That was odd," she said simply.

"A little bit," Talon admitted. "I didn't particularly intend on that happening, but well, I don't plan on allying with some mindless, psychopathic, vain Careers who don't have half a mind for themselves. And District One seems to be doing their own thing. We'll see about Vivian, they could be a good addition if we can pry them away from Troy."

"Why didn't you let them kick me out of the alliance?" Lana asked.

Talon stopped in place. He looked down at his district partner for a moment, then shrugged and continued walking. "Like I said, I don't want to ally with idiotic, egotistical sadists. Despite the name, this isn't a game. Any ally of mine is going to respect that."

"You don't know me," Lana murmured.

"No, not entirely," he admitted. "But I know enough."

Lana looked up to him expectantly.

"Come on, there'll be plenty of time to talk strategy later," Talon deflected. He pressed the up button on the elevator, and turned back to his young ally. He thought to say more, but decided against it. He forced his head to clear up, and focus on the task at hand. The Games were beginning, and everyone had their part to play.

Talon Olympus wasn't going to let anyone else choose that role for him.

A/N: And there we have the Parade! Doesn't seem like anyone expected that from the Career pack lol. I'm so excited that we're finally in the training center, I've had exciting plans for this part of the story for a long time. Next chapter is the first night with Troy, and after that I promise we'll start seeing more of the non-Careers.

Trivia (1 point): Now that the Careers are fractured, any ideas on how things will end up shaping up alliance wise?

Outfits:

1) God and Goddess

2) Warriors

3) Students

4) Fishnets

5) Suburban People

6) Pilot

7) Wood nymph and lumberjack

8) Gangsters

9) Silos of grain

10) Cowboys

11) Sunflower and Field Hand

12) Miners