Trigger Warning: Discussed self-harm, suicidal ideation, PTSD

Fawkes Chau, 19, District 3 Tribute POV

I dread changing into my outfit. I've been able to hide my bandages for most of the day with long sleeves but, earlier, they had to roll up my sleeve to inject my tracker. The Capitol doctor looked on me with cold eyes when he saw my cuts.

I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he judging me, dismissing me? Would he ever understand?

When he was done and I wasn't frozen in place anymore, I looked him right in the eye and said. "I never cut myself before my games. I never even thought about it."

It was the truth. Ever since I woke up this morning, curled up beside Binah, I've been trying to be honest with myself. If I let myself spiral out of control again, it could kill me.

And I don't want to die.

No matter what happens in the arena, I need to remember this moment. The moment when I don't want to die.

My stylist, Hypatia, helps me change into my arena outfit. I'm grateful that the blue jumpsuit has long sleeves. I feel like a lot of my sponsors will see my cuts and think twice about sponsoring me. Or worse... they might think it's cool.

"I'll need to take your bandages off," she says. "You can't wear them in the arena."

"Okay," I say, watching as she exposes my injured arm. The bleeding has stopped but the skin is still red, raw and broken.

Hypatia winces. "You used to be so pretty..."

"So the entire nation is going to judge my beauty on how my arm looks?" I ask. "Why do you care? If you ever dress me again, they'll probably get the scars to go away."

Hypatia frowns. "I don't know... There's just something off about you. You're not like last time. Last time... I thought you were going to win."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I say. "I bet you're wishing you chose District 8 now. You'd get to dress Ageis or Mako, have a gorgeous victor in your little portfolio."

"I am regretting not choosing Eight," Hypatia says. "Why does that make me the bad guy? Why are you so rude now?"

I sigh. I don't want to explain it. I want Hypatia to figure it out for herself. I'm angry at her because it's all just a game to her. She wants me to win but only so she can have the privilege of dressing a victor. If I die, she won't care. She'll just call her friends and moan about how I wasn't good enough.

She doesn't realise that real kids are getting hurt. And I hate her for it. I hate her because I used to be just like her. Except I didn't have the excuse of being raised in the Capitol.

One day she's going to realise what she's been doing and it'll haunt her. If I'm the one who brings on that realisation, it'll be even better.

"I'm rude? I wonder why," I say, stepping into the tube. I wait for it to close around me and mentally prepare myself for the bloodbath. I know that Ageis and Régine will protect me. Maybe even one of the other rebels if I desperately need help. I'm unlikely to die in the bloodbath.

So I feel calm as I rise into the arena. That calmness is soon disrupted by waves splashing against my podium. I can't swim.

But I know rebels who probably can.

I glance around to see who's next to me and instantly regret it.

I am right between Eros Buonafonte and Rusalka Darien.

Now the water seems inviting. I wonder if should dive in before the countdown ends. Maybe if I land close enough to Eros, the explosion will kill him as well. It'll save me a lot of suffering. My life will be over in an instant.

I look down into the water, preparing myself to jump, when something stops me. My reflection. The same reflection that taunted me last night, before Binah found me.

Binah...

I can't do it. I'd rather endure all the tortures of the arena again than force her to watch me kill myself.

So I prepare myself to swim away from Eros. Maybe I'll drown but I'll drown knowing that I tried to live.

Rusalka Darien, 18, District 7 Tribute POV

The odds are in my favour.

I'm a strong swimmer. I don't think the arena is completely watery, since there are emerald-green trees at the edge of the beach, but it'll get me through the bloodbath.

It'll get Eros through as well. There's only one tribute between us and it's the boy from Three. The one with the pretty eyes who Eros hates so much.

"Not so smart now, are you, Three?" Eros crows.

The boy just stands there, looking exhausted and terrified.

"Would it kill you to learn my name?" He asks. His voice shakes. We all know that Eros is going to kill him, most likely very painfully. The fear radiates off him.

I imagine watching the terror flood the eyes of one of my own kills. My palms itch for a weapon.

By the end of the bloodbath, all will fear me.

Honeydew Wrack, 17, District 1 Tribute POV

The arena looks like a tropical island. Just like my old arena. But I shouldn't think about my old arena anymore. I should think about the present.

There are four tributes between me and my brother.

The one closest to me is Régine Maurin. That would usually be a cause for concern but she's too busy looking over at that red-haired fifteen-year-old she's allied with. I can tell that, unless I mess with her allies, Régine Maurin won't bother me.

Then there's Silver Oberst, who could be a threat. His boyfriend, Moss, is right next to Eidolon. I'm not sure how that'll affect his chances of attacking us.

The only tribute between Silver and Moss is the twelve-year old, who's completely frozen with fear. At least she won't be any trouble.

I jerk my head towards the Cornucopia, a silent signal.

Want to go in?

Eidolon shakes his head. I know that he'll be able to kill most of the tributes in this arena without a weapon. I won't.

I make a plan in my head. I'm going to swim in, grab the nearest weapon and swim away before half the tributes are even off their podiums. I may not be as strong as Eidolon but I'm fast, especially in the water.

And the Cornucopia is perfect. Because everything in there is a weapon.

Asteraceae Croft, 16, District 10 Tribute POV

Peeta Mellark is right next to me.

Between us is a small stretch of water. That could be an issue, seeing as I can't swim but now may be the only chance I get.

There's a ring on my right hand, a ring given to me by my stylist on President Snow's orders. It was confiscated from a girl last year for containing a poisoned spike. Normally, I'm opposed to cheating but, since I'm using it to kill rebels, I can comfort myself in knowing I'm doing the right thing for the glorious Capitol.

I'm grateful that I have the opportunity.

Peeta Mellark should be grateful as well. Even though I'm going to kill him, things could've been a lot worse for him.

He could've launched next to Houghton.

Sankie Earthash, 15, District 11 Tribute POV

This arena's strange. Our podiums are in a saltwater lake around the Cornucopia. Saltwater, a conductor of electricity. The lake appears to be perfect circle. There are strips of sand sticking out from the Cornucopia, like spokes in a wheel.

It feels like I'm inside a giant machine. I guess that's what every arena is - a machine designed to simulate nature. This one's just hiding it less.

I catch Régine's eye from across the circle of tributes. She looks at me, questioningly. I know what she's trying to say.

Are you safe?

Given that I'm between Diana, a fellow rebel, and that skinny quiet boy whose name I can't quite remember, I nod. Then something catches my eye.

Fawkes, trapped between two Careers.

I wave my arms in the air and point towards Fawkes. Régine nods and looks over to Ageis, who's somewhere between us.

The waves splash against my platform. I feel a little off-balance from all the waving. There' a sickening moment where my foot slips and I almost plunge to my death.

But I regain my balance. I regain my composure.

I'm ready.

Lacquera Wake, 14, District 6 Tribute POV

I can see things that aren't there. Dark shapes, writhing in the water like a swarm of leeches. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block them out.

None of the other tributes matter. Only the water.

When I hear the scream, I think it's myself.

But then I realise it's not me. It's Libby.

Libby can't swim. I can. No matter what the gamemakers did to me, I'm a good swimmer.

I know I need to get to her. I can face whatever's in the water to protect my friend.

Modus Pigeon, 13, District 5 Tribute POV

I'm shaking with fear as I rise up into the arena. I have to make an effort not to shake so herd that I fall off my platform. Then I catch a glimpse of the girl next to me.

She's tall. Her arms ripple with muscles. Her eyes are cruel and hard. I know she'll kill me without even trying.

Then I remember what Caesar told me. Panem's deadliest thirteen-year-old.

Suddenly, I realise how easy it would be to kill that girl.

How easy it would be to kill everyone in the arena.

Liberty "Libby" Stringer, 12, District 4 Tribute POV

The water stretches out around me. Vast, engulfing. I have no way of swimming, nothing to cling to.

I'm going to drown again. There's no way I'll survive this.

I hear a scream and realise that it's me.

"Libby!" Lacquera cries from somewhere across the water. "Hold on! I'm coming for you."

Then the countdown ticks down to zero and the Third Quarter Quell begins.

Most of the POVs in this chapter were kind of short because none of the tributes are doing much. I made Fawkes' POV a bit longer because I wanted to include that little interaction between him and Hypatia. I wanted to give him a little bit more revenge against the Capitol. Most POVs are just tributes reacting to the arena and who's near them. See if you can predict some bloodbath deaths.

Also, here's the first glimpse of the arena. I decided to take the lazy option and just stick the tributes in the Catching Fire arena. I could've come up with a different arena but I wouldn't have been able to link it to how this AU happened - some drunk Capitolite vomiting on Ramona's shoes. Plutarch says in Catching Fire that he designed this arena before he found out about the Quell twist so it's likely that this arena was in the works before that event happened. Sorry if you were hoping for another House on the Hill. If it's any consolation, a few of the tributes are going to explore sections of the arena that were never revealed in Catching Fire. But that's for some much later chapters.

Next chapter, the games truly begin and I can start killing people off.