Author's Note

I do not own the Hunger Games.


They slept side by side that night, bundled up in the blankets, and when she woke him growling and kicking in her sleep he simply rolled over and returned to sleep on the other side.

How many times had his cellmates complained about him doing that?


Morning came, golden light beaming through the window and a banging on the door.

"Up up up! Today's your big day!"

Luciente growled in her waking moments. Hyperion stretched, kicking back the blankets. St Clarance bustled into the room. "Come along come along! You only have two hours!"

Two hours.

Luciente knew all was going to be fine, but the nerves were still there.

They were still going into a death match.

"I recommend you shower, and wear something comfortable, and come and get some breakfast. You'll be taken out in the hovercraft in two hours, and launched this evening."

Luciente growled softly.

"So we need to have you two up and fighting! Let's see it!"

Luciente sat up suddenly, a blur of rapid motion, and sprang across the bed with a snarl.

St Clarance shrieked and backed away to the door. Luciente giggled. "He's funny."


The scare did at least get the escort to back off, and they both took long showers and dressed in the clothes that had apparently been left out for them the night before.

They found Meadow and Holden already in the common space, eating breakfast. The two of them dropped into the empty chairs and filled their plates and bowls with small amounts of bread, fruit, and oatmeal.

"You two ready for today?" Meadow asked.

Holden laughed. "They're never ready Meadow."

"Now, I know you want to run in to the cornucopia for supplies. If I can't change your mind on that, I just want to say try not to get in a fight with any Careers."

Holden snorted. "That one's obvious."

"Don't fight them for supplies, just let it go. You two seem… resourceful, I'm sure you could live without."

That was true.

That was very true.

If the arena was woodland, the arena was theirs, just like the woods back home belonged to them and the coyotes.

Hyperion gave a sharp nod. Meadow cast Luciente a look. "And try not to eat your meat raw."


Once they had finished eating, St Clarance bustled them from the apartment. Meadow and Holden walked with them to the long, silver corridor that they remembered went back to the chariot warehouse.

"Well, this is where we leave you."

Hyperion nodded. At the other end of the corridor the pair from Four vanished through the door. Holden clapped him on the back. "See you on the other side kid."


St Clarance hurried them down the corridor to where a bored looking girl with bubblegum pink hair sat at a desk.

"District Ten, Hyperion and Luciente Ripley."

Her gaze flickered briefly over Luciente and she tapped at something on the screen. "You're in. May the odds be ever in your favour."

Hyperion snorted.

The odds were not in their favour, that was half the problem.

That was how they had ended up in this situation.

Except-

Maybe at the other side there was freedom, and that was worth chasing.

St Clarance hurried them into the warehouse. It was open, and a large silver ramp led up into the belly of a hovercraft. "Here you are! Up you go, and good luck now! I'm sure we'll see each other on the other side."

Hyperion was sure they would never see each other again and glad for it.

Luciente was growling again.

St Clarance scurried away rather hurriedly.


Four peacekeepers appeared to load them onto the hovercraft, marching them to seats labelled with their District and Gender. Half the seats were still empty, but Hyperion could see he was going to have Luciente on one side and the girl from Twelve on the other. Gretchen and Ryan would be opposite them.

Capital assistants hurried around helping them buckle their straps and making sure everything was locked for the ride. The belt buckle glowed green once it was fastened.

At the top of the hovercraft the Careers were laughing and joking over something. At least someone was having a good time.

Slowly, in pairs or groups of four, the other tributes arrived and were brought aboard, being quickly steered into the seats labelled for their District. Azrayk and his District partner (Rabbit?) were amongst the last. He eyed Luciente with a healthy amount of scepticism. She smiled, displaying her teeth, and watched him shudder.

"We can't rely on him," she said.

"He'll betray us?" he asked.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "He's too afraid."

He couldn't match her, couldn't match Hyperion, couldn't even match Nathaniel, and eventually that would cost him. They couldn't rely on him, but then they couldn't rely on anyone. She had Hyperion, and back home she had Ariel, and now she had Nathaniel too, but there was no one else to rely on, no one else to be trusted.


Finally all twenty four tributes were aboard the hovercraft. A woman with pale blonde hair stood at the head of the craft. "We will be taking off shortly in three minutes. Please remain in your seats during the trip."

"Because there are so many nice places to go aboard this beautiful ship," muttered the girl from Twelve.

There were a few snickers from some of the other tributes. The Capitolite retreated as the ramp slid back into the ship and the doors hissed closed.

Hyperion glanced around the hold.

In twelve hours, some of these kids were going to be dead.

In twelve hours, he might have killed some of them.

The hovercraft lurched, humming around them. The sound vibrated through his feet. Some of the tributes spoke, but others simply stared blankly ahead, waiting.

They were being shipped to their deaths after all.


Four Capitalites came along the tributes. Two were avoxes, passing out water and thin wafer biscuits. The other two were men in white coats who were giving each tribute a shot in their arm. Luciente took a paper cup of water and sipped at it. The man stopped by her.

"Right arm."

Luciente held it out. He pressed a narrow cylinder to her arm. Something pierced her skin, sharp and stinging, and remained there under her skin. The man sprayed the spot with a cold liquid and moved down to Hyperion. Luciente traced her fingers over her arm, growling softly.

Tagged.

Like animals.

She'd see about that.


Time passed aboard the hovercraft. Chatter between the tributes came and went, nervous talk to simply try and pass the time. Luciente leant forwards to peer over at the girl from Twelve. Tamika, she had learnt her name was after looking it up this morning. She was staring straight forward, clearly trying to hold back tears and pretend she hadn't noticed them. Luciente gestured at her, but she only turned her face away.

And for a split moment Luciente saw her with her trousers split open, her jacket and t-shirt torn away, her chest bloodied and bruised.

Hyperion frowned, looking between them.

The future wasn't set in stone.

She'd learnt that a long time ago.

Some things were, but some things only might be.

She pointed at the boy from Twelve. "Make sure that one dies."

Hyperion nodded.


Author's Note

SUBMITTER CHECK-IN

I haven't put many notes at the bottom of chapters like this, but here we are! We are currently two chapters away from the arena and three from the bloodbath, so stay tuned! I'm taking a note from some other authors on here and making a Submitter Check-in. It won't affect your tribute's placing in any way, I already have a draft and know where everyone's coming, it's just a check-in on everyone for when you reach this point. So tell me, if your tribute had a colour, what colour would they have?