Sitting in front of the TV with a hot chocolate in hand Azura was watching the recaps to see who of the careers would be getting the most sponsors. The interviews were different as Caesar didn't need to push anyone out of their shell. However that seemed to just stress the host out as each tribute actually wanted to be there. There were some hold outs from three and four however if they came off as weak or shy, they'd be the first targets and the first dead. The door opened as Katniss came in balancing her own mug of hot chocolate and a plate of sweet bread. Sitting down on the couch but all the way across from him she set the plate on the coffee table in front of them.
"My Peeta showed me that it tastes really good if you take the bread and dunk it in the drink," she said showing him how to do it, still hoping just a little for some hope. Azura did just that and nodded.
"Baker boy has some considering where he came from." Was all Azura said however aside from that first dunk he didn't do it again.
"You did good on your recap," Katniss said. Haymitch had mentioned that Caesar seemed to have been trying to see if Azura was Peeta as well for some reason. Asked him his favorite part of the Capitol and if he had a girl back home. Azura had smiled at the first question, reminding Caesar that this wasn't his first trip to the Capitol and even bragged that the large mural in the President's Mansion was painted by him. It showed the rebels losing to the Capitol. For the second one he, like Peeta, shook his head as if there was something more. When Caesar pressed on he just said that games always came first. Then the bombshell which would get him a lot of sponsors, him saying that he would look to settle down after he won the games. Once the crowd died down Caesar asked for clarification. Azura smiled and told him and everyone else that the other tributes were strong, cunning and vicious enough to win, however he wouldn't give up he knew he was coming home.
"Considering how much the crowd loved me and because I'm from One I suspect plenty of sponsor gifts. That might be strange for you and Haymitch since I doubt you could afford a bottle of water. Let your victor partner know that if we don't get the gifts we deserve then I will kill him myself when I get out." Katniss swallowed hard before getting up and hurrying to the sitting room where Haymitch was looking over some papers. Coincidentally it was a mock up of the sponsor money. Hearing her come in he looked up at her.
"Do you think he'll win?" he asked not sharing the prices with her.
"Yes."
"He's got the support of the Capitol, looking like Peeta isn't hurting. Last time I saw this amount was when Cashmere was in the games. Her sponsor money was just under what we have to play with. There's," he looked over her shoulder to see that the door was in fact closed then said softly to her, "There's a drone someone could buy for a tribute."
"What's a drone?"
"Pre- War technology. It's a robot that flies around the arena, I believe Plutarch will be using it for better viewing but a tribute can get one as well. Three might have an advantage but you need a remote for one. There's two on here, we can afford the camera but the other one, whew I think Snow put it there to tease everyone. It has a mounted gun on it, you could sweep the arena with that one. Luckily it wont be in the cornucopia either, it's solely a sponsor gift."
"Does that tell you where they are going?"
"No but it's the Quarter Quell so we know it's going to be special." No matter where they were taken the mentors would go to another building nicknamed the Pit. There was a viewing area, chairs and couches around the center map. The map would be a 3D model of the area with blinking lights showing tributes. There was a large table kept stocked with food and even some beds if you wanted to get some sleep, if that was at all possible. They wouldn't see Azura and Lace until it was over however there was no reason to say Goodbye, none at all yet it still tugged at Katniss' heartstrings.
The next morning Katniss and Haymitch found themselves heading to the Pit with Blight and Johanna.
"They were taken last night," Blight said not being able to sleep much during this time of the year. "When I asked about it the attendant simply told me that they had a long trip ahead of them and there was a schedule."
"Where is this arena?" Katniss asked but no one had an answer, even when they saw the map inside the Pit no one knew what they were looking at. Confused whispers were throughout the district victors until Plutarch arrived clearing his throat.
"Attention victors, the arena you are looking at is the modified remains of a city once called Dubai. Your tributes arrived early in the morning and are waiting to be launched into the arena in an hour. Each was given this suit," he made a motion with his fingers and a suit came up, desert camo. "The mesh prevents overheating and at night that trapped heat will really help them. All of them will also start out with an empty standard rifle. In the cornucopia aside from food, water and hand to hand weapons will be ammunition clips. Scattered around the city are hidden treasures including more ammo. Ammo can be gifted from sponsors as well. You all received your list, any questions?"
"What the fuck is a drone? No one can afford that, except Peeta and that would probably take all he has," to irk the Capitol off Johanna refused to call Azura anything but Peeta. Plutarch seemed nonplussed and just continued.
"They will launch here, in this smaller arena. In the Pre-war days it was called an ice rink and may provide shelter from the heat for whoever controls it." Since Johanna's question wasn't going to be answered silence followed and Plutarch nodded looking at his watch. "Forty minutes to go, this is the Seventy Fifth Hunger Games, enjoy them and may the odds be forever in your favor." With that he was gone leaving the mentors to wait.
"Are you actually going to help them?" came a question out of the blue. Katniss and Haymitch looked up to see an upset Gloss looking at them as Cashmere tried to get him to back down. They both ignored him and Cashmere managed to get him to back off before they got in trouble. With a minute to go they all watched as all the tributes came up into the arena, many confused at where they were. Azura looked determined, they could have dropped him into the ocean and he would have been fine. Once the sixty seconds were up a bell rang and they were off and then nearly all of them were down. Ice wasn't something these districts saw that often so they weren't prepared for how slippery it was. Azura however moved like someone from Twelve who knew how to walk on ice without falling. Because of that he arrived second reaching for a clip at the same time Sidion from Four arrived as well. Grabbed his gun Sidion went to fire, not knowing what an empty gun weighed in his hands. Azura did the same but instead of pointing it he smashed Sidion in the face with the butt of the gun.
Topaz slid in next to the body and nodded at Azura, she could assemble the weapons the fastest of their group and had her gun ready to go taking out two more from Four and two girls from three. Taff and Lace arrived on the other side grappling with Brutus who managed to find some knives, forgoing the guns for the moment. Not everyone went for the cornucopia. As Azura dropped a clip to slam home another one he heard a cry of immense sorrow. Swinging the gun around he saw that Brutus was running off with a large duffel with who knew what in it. Azura almost shot at him when he saw where the cry had come from. Taff was cradling Lace in her hands as one of Brutus' wicked knives stuck out of her chest. Topaz had seen and ducked in to take inventory as Azura went to Taff and scooped her into a hug.
"We have to go," he said as she tried to get away. "No, she's dead Taff. Let's go." It was the way he said it as Taff kissed her sister's cheek before following Topaz across the blood stained ice, they would find someplace to bunker in. Actually they didn't leave the rink yet, just left the area so the bodies could be collected. Right now they were in the announcer's box which reminded Topaz of where the hosts spoke during the games. Checking all their supplies they attempted to calm Taff down. With Lace's death that brought the bloodbath to a total of ten tributes dead, thirteen to go.
"By the way thanks for that shit at one on one scoring," Topaz said suddenly in the silence to try to break the tension. Pulling out some cans from the pack she didn't think they should eat right away but at least it gave Taff something to do instead of thinking about Lace's death. Azura looked at Topaz startled. "I nearly shit myself you surprised me so much." That got a laugh from the trio and the audience back home, most who had no idea what she was talking about though. There were several cannons, ten as Azura looked down at the ice.
"I thought there were eleven dead down there." Azura said as Topaz joined him.
"Look over there, that person is still alive but took a bullet to the arm or something," Topaz pointed out as they told Taff to keep everything safe before loading two rifles and heading out. On the ice, pulling herself along was Servilia, one of the District Two Tributes and Brutus' partner when it came to mentoring and the chariot rides. Instead of killing her right away they decided to take her back and get information about Brutus and his group. Getting down to her Topaz took point as Azura scooped her up into his arms.
"Ambush," Servilia whispered to him, "Brutus shot me to get to you." Azura's eyes went wide as across the rink three tributes looked over the seats and fired at them. Instead of just running away Azura pulled Servilia across the ice and behind the seats over there as Topaz randomly fired back. Jumping behind cover with the others Topaz cursed.
"I didn't bring an extra clip," she said as Azura handed over his own weapon. "Thank you but it would just be a waste unless they come fully out of cover. On the plus side they're wasting ammunition as well." Servilia gasped.
"Are you keeping me alive to torture me because I'd rather you just let me die." Servilia actually smiled at the surprise in Azura's face.
"What? No, we were going to treat your wound and feed you. Maybe get you to tell us about Brutus and his plans. He's vicious if he shot you himself, his own partner."
"No we all came into this game alone. His father is a head peacekeeper, he's a great shot. I think this is superficial but the right spot for a lot of blood. For the folks back home I guess."
"Makes it easier for you to turn against him if he's such an asshole," Azura said earning a smile from both girls.
"It's a good plan if he made it out with a lot of bullets, we wont survive much longer," Topaz pointed out. Before they could give up a can of some sort flew into the middle of the rink from where Taff had been. Both sides peeked out to what it was when it burst open and smoke poured out covering the rink.
"Get out of there," Taff called out as tributes started to fire randomly trying to hit them but unable to see. Getting Servilia on his back the trio made their way out and upwards to get Taff and get out of there. Taff was ready to go and with Topaz they made their way out of there.
"What was that and how should we thank you?" Azura said later as they made their way to the closest defensible looking building, what might have been a store one with language they couldn't read on it.
"A sponsor gift I think, it was in the pack but it didn't seem standard." Taff said holding out a note that was on it. There was no detail on it just pull the pin and throw.
"It's a smoke grenade," Servilia explained, "We learned about them in Two, it's a non-violent way of breaking up civil unrest and almost never used. I guess if people got too wild in the Capitol it's used to confuse and break the crowd up." She explained this as Azura cleaned the wound and patched her up. They offered to let her go out on her own but she told them she'd rather stick with people she could trust but agreed at the final eight they would all go their own ways. As it got dark the anthem played and images of twelve tributes were shown, Atlas had been killed shortly after the cornucopia along with a girl from Four. Not looking at the name Azura saw that it was the one who approached him for an alliance. They made sure to keep Taff busy as Lace's image came up as well. However despite their best attempts she saw it and instead of going right to sleep she cried. They were already halfway down, twelve more to go.