TEAM 13 : DISTRICT 6

Angelina : Anika

Interviews (Part 3)

Angelina grinned as she shook Cicero's hand. "It's really great to be here! I can't wait to make history."

"Wow, no hesitation!" Cicero laughed, prompting the crowd to laugh with him. "I like it. Well, as you know, we're almost halfway done with this Games' interviews. We've chatted with your darling teammates Tourmaline and Roman, we've pow-wowed with Garin and Hessa, and we even got 'Harry' to say a few words!"

The crowd laughed again; Harry had mostly made a name for himself by being 'adorably' awkward, and otherwise unremarkable—he had, from what their sponsors had said, gotten a cult following for being the only 'non-volunteer' among Team 13, though, so his behavior wasn't hurting the team even if they had been planning to compete in the way the Capitol thought they would.

"And now it's my turn." She said.

"Exactly, exactly." Cicero agreed. "So, let's start with the basics: what do you think you bring to your team?"

"Well, personally, I think I bring a hell of a lot." Angelina said. "As you know, our team has decided to make miniature teams—make the most of the sheer number of people involved, you know?"

"Yes, yes—if I'm not mistaken, you're with Antwan and Malie, is that right?"

"That's right! So in that team, Antwan's the one that's really good with combat, Malie's the one that's great at planning," that was code for sponsorships, "and I'm the one that's resourceful—I make sure we stay alive, while Neville and Malie make sure we win."

"A vital role, to be sure." Cicero said. He wouldn't bother asking what made her qualified—the Games masters had learned long ago to lean away from how the children they sent to be killed had learned the skills they had; the answers were probably not ones they wanted anyone to hear. "Now, and this is an important question," Cicero leaned forward, encouraging the audience to do the same, "Who are you most worried about?"

That was a question Angelina expected, in particular because the interview just before her—Bram, the fourteen-year-old tribute from her district, had admitted that he found Team 13 to be far more powerful than even Team 18. Cicero wasn't to know that Bram meant it as a good thing, meant it as a positive; Cicero couldn't possibly have any idea that Bram had already been successfully convinced of the revolution, of how he had nothing to fear from Team 13.

Cicero didn't know that Bram hadn't been referring to his own chances when Cicero asked him which Team was the biggest danger.

Angelina smiled. "Oh, I'm not worried about anyone." She said.

"But surely you find some of the Teams particularly dangerous to go up against."

Angelina agreed easily enough; "Of course, no question. I mean, any individual can be truly fearsome under the right conditions. I'm just… not afraid for my team."

Cicero smiled. "Bravery's good. We like bravery, don't we?" The crowd roared back a response.

"Well, Team 13's brave." Angelina said, interrupting Cicero as she did. "We're probably just about the bravest team out there, right now: 13 can't be beat."

The crowd loved her.

"Thirteen!" She shouted.

"Thirteen!" They shouted back.

"Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen!"

Briefly, so briefly that if she didn't know it was coming she would have missed it, Angelina saw a flash of fear cross Cicero's face. That was fine; they'd expected it—planned for it, even. Oliver, Alicia, and Katie would draw back the worry, convince Cicero and the Gamemakers that nothing was wrong after all.

The damage would already be done, anyway. The chant of thirteen? That had a much more visceral response in the Districts than the Capitol could ever understand. Despite the years and years and years since District 13 fell, despite the Capitol actively attempting to minimize any influence, '13' never died.

In the Capitol thirteen was an age and possibly a symbol of rebellion. In the Districts it was a symbol of rebellion and also, sometimes, an age.