"The College: Convergence"

A/N: Here's the final part of The College Chapter. A bit of a shorter one this time, hope y'all enjoy!

~Am I cruel?

Or am I ignorant or was I fooled

By the stories I knew?~

Ty Bale

The canons kept on firing. The day before three faces showed up in the sky, and another two had joined them today. Ty and Julie both heard the commotion, and it didn't take a whiz kid to figure out that at least a few of those deaths were happening near them. That was just all the more reason for Ty and Julie to stay locked into their room, away from all the chaos outside of it.

Only fourteen of them were left, almost halfway through and Ty and Julie had spent just about the whole time sitting in a room killing the time. Yet still it was all starting to get to Ty. He felt on edge. The idea that the cameras were watching him like this, it was enough to drive him crazy. He was a mess, none of the charm and meticulously planned and thought out persona and appearance. His routine was thrown out the window, and nothing was there to bind things into a sense of normalcy and comfort.

Julie helped a bit. She got on his nerves the first two days, but he was starting to appreciate the company. He wasn't sure what he would do if he were stuck all alone in the arena. Go insane, probably. It was more than just boredom. It was the fact that nothing ever happened, yet it always seemed like something was about to. He was waiting for the shoe to drop, for those screeching mutts to charge through their door, but nothing kept on happening. He'd be bored if he was watching them on television, and that was a bad sign.

"So, let's see then," Julie said, drumming her fingers against her knees as she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully from up on the lofted bed. Ty leaned back in the desk chair, crossing his arms. "I dyed my hair pink to impress a girl. This isn't the first time I've broken my wrist. I was in choir for five years as a kid."

"Yeah, you were never in choir." Ty snorted.

"Wrong again," Julie said lightly, smiling pleasantly.

"You're lying."

"Parents forced me into it." She shrugged. "Never said I was ever good at it."

"Which was the lie then?" Ty asked. He let out a yawn, and peeked out the window. It was still raining, and was dark. Hopefully the rain would let up and they could finally leave the college behind before Ty and the rest of the audience died of boredom.

"First one. Sheesh, I'm not that shallow," she joked.

"Why'd you dye it, then?"

Julie paused, then sat up on the bad, her feet dangling over as she shrugged. "Dunno, really. It was just something I could do that was my choice and nobody else's." She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I also had just gotten rejected, so maybe I am shallow."

"What about the wrist then? How'd you keep breaking that, miss 'greatest climber in the district,'" he retorted.

She blew a raspberry. "I climb a lot. Sometimes you fall. Broken it three times, rolled and sprained my ankle a dozen times, broke my foot once, and shattered the heck outta my tailbone this one time. Mostly out in the old industrial area, the area that got bombed to shreds back in the day. Some good, tall buildings out there that nobody will arrest you for climbing."

"Why bother?" Ty asked, genuinely confused. "It's just a bunch of dusty old buildings with broken glass and metal everywhere."

"I dunno," Julie said sheepishly, looking down as she rubbed the back of her neck. She looked almost embarrassed, something that Ty wasn't at all used to.

"I feel like you do know," Ty replied sarcastically.

"Psh." Julie kicked back, leaning into the wall and shrugging. "I just like the view, I guess. It's nice to see that the world is this big, endless place, not the tiny and confined one it seems like sometimes. It makes you feel small, but in a good way, ya know? Keeps me from getting too big for my boots."

"Why not just like, watch a movie then? Or look at some pictures. Better view than looking at the walls back in Three."

Julie rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're climbing the right buildings then you're seeing over the wall." Her voice went quiet and she shrugged. "But that's not really the point."

"Whatever," Ty said, yawning as he shrugged. "Considering you fell and smashed your wrist and that would've cost you any chances of winning if it happened just a week later, I'll stick with the movies."

"I didn't fall on accident," Julie blurted out. She seemed surprised at herself that she said it, and quickly turned away from Ty, laying down on the bed and turning towards the wall.

Ty sat still in his seat. He was keenly aware of the camera in the corner of the room that was trained directly at him. All of Panem was watching, expecting him to do something, to have something worthwhile to say. Ty couldn't think of anything.

"I just meant, like," Julie blurted out, struggling to find the words. "I didn't fall trying to climb like usual. I was being stupid, and, well, I don't know. Maybe I was hoping that I'd fall."

"What were you trying to do?" Ty asked awkwardly, not sure what else to say. He felt uncomfortable, but there wasn't exactly any avoiding the conversation. It wasn't like walking out the door was an option.

"Climbing the wall, maybe." She paused, then looked up at the camera. "Sorry, that's illegal, probably shouldn't have mentioned that."

"The walls, like, a mile tall. How would you climb it?" Ty asked incredulously.

"You can't." Julie sighed. "And I know that, but I tried anyway. And I fell, and well," she held up her hand, massaging her wrist. "Yeah. Should've been a lot worse than it was, really. I was lucky. I guess."

"Oh," Ty said, and he tapped his fingers against the armrest, avoiding the urge to whistle and scratch the back of his neck.

"It's fine," Julie said. "You don't have to act all. . . weird about it. I'm fine, really."

"Alright, cool," Ty said. He paused for a moment, then quickly added. "Have you seen that one reall tall building off towards where we saw that park? Seems like the tallest place in the whole arena." He shrugged. "Could be a good place to check out."

Julie laughed, shaking her head. "What, you want me to give you climbing lessons in the middle of a deathmatch?"

"Well it sounds stupid when you put it like that."

"How should I put it then," Julie said amusedly.

"Reconnaissance? Scouting out the arena and the opposition."

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds all smart-like," Julie mused.

"Sounding smart-like is a talent of mine," Ty boasted, and both of them laughed.

"Alright T-Bale. Once the rain clears out, we'll head over there, and I'll see if I can teach a boy with butter fingers to climb like a pro."

"Nothing that you've beat me in yet," Ty teased.

"Don't hold your breath." Julie grinned.

The rain kept on pouring outside, but Ty relaxed, leaning back into his chair and letting out a yawn as he got ready to sleep through the third night of the arena. His hair was oily to the touch, and he could feel the dirt on his face. But overall, he supposed that things could be a whole lot worse.

Troy Magnison

Troy kept on missing the fights by mere minutes. Time and time again for the past two days, Troy heard a commotion. A scream or the sound of a mutation, a canon, a fight, and yet every time Troy would arrive late. It had given him a few fights, as every time he would have a few of the monstrous mutations left behind for him to fight, but they were no worthy battle. They were mindless monsters, and Troy's battle-axe cleaved through them with ease while Vivian's shot was true from afar. Perhaps a greater number of them could cause him difficulty, but he only wandered upon pairs and once a trio.

Vivian seemed to not mind the lack of true action. They were in a cheerful mood, even the revelation of the mutts only able to sour their attitude for a short while. Their opponents were dropping rapidly, and Vivian spoke fondly of the idea of victory nearing them. Troy was happy for them. They deserved victory. But Troy worried for his own fate.

He was unsure whether to feel glad or sorrowful when he saw the faces that lit up the sky. None of them were warriors, except perhaps the boy from Eight. On the one hand it sorrowed him to see them die. They were undeserving of the fate, and it brought him pain to see them forced into a battle they were unprepared for. But yet, if the other warriors were to all fall. . . Troy was unsure what he would do then. The arena was proving to be more difficult than he could have possibly imagined.

Vivian was asleep, Troy left on guard for the first half of the night. They were curled up in a ball on the sofa, holding tightly to their arms. Outside the rain continued to pour, pitter pattering against the cement in a way that was almost peaceful. But this place was anything but that. Of the five canons that had gone off recently, at least four of them were from this building. He had seen the hovercraft come to claim three of them, the bodies neatly laid beneath the trees. And he had heard enough commotion to decipher that another battle had taken place.

He wondered what Idun would think of him, if she saw him now. He was doing what they had always dreamed of. He was entering into the arena, weapon in hand and ally by his side, and they would fight together to the bitter end. Monsters surrounded them, and yet they continued to prevail. It was the dream they had shared. Yet she was not there to share it with him.

He disliked the way that sadness had filled him the last few days. Old insecurities and whispers had worked their way back into his consciousness. Where for so many years he had resolved himself to focus on his goals, now he was slipping back into those past habits. The self-blame was strongest of all. That one was hard to will away. Idun truly might still be alive if it were not for him. The fact that lingering on such negative thoughts did him no good was no longer enough to refocus his attention.

The Games were giving him too much time to think. It could never be a good thing, to allow yourself to be entirely lost within your thoughts. Quietude and inaction were the path to regret and insecurity. He had filled his life with action and noise to avoid those things, and for so long it had worked. Troy got the feeling if Idun were with him there would be anything but quiet. She was always loud and seeking out action. Sitting still was a paramount crime in her eyes, inaction equal to cowardice and boredom.

Troy sighed, and when he stood up to go for a walk and shake out his restlessness, he glanced at the cracked mirror and noticed that his eyes were damp. He reached up a hand, wiping away the beginnings of tears. Vivian shifted in their seat, their eyes cracking open as they murmured something meaningless. A fragment of a dream, most likely.

His theory was proven right as their eyes slid shut again, a quieter murmur escaping their lips before silence overtook them again. Troy didn't know what was going to become of his alliance with Vivian Ostera. They were more than just an ally, they were a friend, yet something ate away at him. Aside from the boy from Two, they were the only true warrior remaining. He didn't wish to fight a friend, but if he were to defeat Talon. . . the thought was murky and left him feeling decidedly unsure.

His feelings towards Vivian were confusing. He hadn't anticipated standing by someone in the arena, and for good reason. He enjoyed their company, and thought of them as a true and honest friend. But would he risk his chance at Valhalla for that? If it came down to it, would he be able to fight them, and do so fiercely, so that it could be a battle that would show him truly worthy?

He shook his head, and decided against a walk. Doing so wouldn't help clear his thoughts. A mess had been made of things, and where there once was simplicity only confusion and uncertainty now existed. But he would fight on. He imagined if it were Idun who were in his shoes, and thought what she would do. Details were fuzzy, but there was one thing that was certain. She would fight. And that's what Troy would continue to do. Until the end.

Lana Birkhead

Lana nibbled on the energy bar. She still felt light-headed. Her gut had been properly wrapped in bandages, and Talon made her eat something to regain her energy, even though with every bite she tasted bile and felt ready to throw it right up. She forced herself to keep it down though. Water came just as difficult, and she took a small sip to wash down the mush, her hand shaking as she brought the bottle to her lips.

Talon threw down a card on the center pile, flashing her a smile. "I know, they're real nasty," he said. "You should try the energy drinks we found. They taste like battery acid."

"It's okay," Lana said quietly. She rubbed her wrist, scrubbing away at a tiny speck of blood that hadn't come off. She played another card on top of Talon's so he didn't have to wait, but didn't pay attention to it. He slapped the pile, taking the cards for himself and shuffling them into his deck.

"Once you're feeling better we've got some jerky that might treat your taste buds better," he said, and she nodded her head.

It was late into the night, and everyone else was asleep. They had all claimed their own rooms as soon as they returned back to the floor they had turned into their base. Ciera, Nikola, and Maya all seemed happy to be away from her. She could tell they'd all be much happier if she were dead. Talon had stayed up with her, switching out her bandages and getting enough water into her so that she could at least sit up straight, propped up against a drawer.

He was talking a lot, more than usual, and none of it really meant anything. It was like he was talking just for the sake of talking. It wasn't like him. She could see herself in a mirror now. It sat propped up across the room, splintered and dusty but clear enough to see her reflection. Her skin was pale, her whole body shook, and as much as she had tried to scrub it off there were still specks of blood staining her from her hair to her clothes to her hands. She wasn't sure how much of it was the mutts, how much was Udon's, and how much was her own.

"I killed him," Lana said, and the words seemed to come from someone else. Talon looked just as surprised as Lana felt. He took a while, freezing midway through playing a card.

"Yeah," he said finally, his voice slow and careful. "You did."

Lana looked down at the carpet. She scrubbed at her wrist. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Talon nodded his head, playing a card. "That's good."

She looked over at him, eyeing him strangely. "What's good?" She asked.

"That you're sorry," he said simply. "Means you care. Means you aren't a monster."

Lana went quiet for a while. Everything about the past day was a blur, once she fell off the balcony it all got hazy. She could remember what she did, but it didn't feel like it was her doing it. She was just scared. She wasn't supposed to ever be, but she was. But Talon wasn't. Even when she killed that boy, and when she had lashed out at him, he didn't give up on her.

"Do you care?" she asked.

That seemed to be enough to get him to pause and think. He eyed her curiously. "About Udon dying?" He asked, and that wasn't what Lana had meant but she decided to nod her head anyways. "No," he said easily. "He wasn't a good person, and besides, he had to die eventually for me to win."

"Like all of us do?" She said, looking up at him with curious eyes. It was a roundabout way of asking the question she had really meant.

He looked stumped on that one, searching for an answer as his eyes rose to the ceiling. "Well, there can only be one victor," he said after a while, dodging the question. Lana decided not to push it.

"They don't like me," she said. He was ready to say something and she looked up at him. "I don't blame them."

"They're scared of you," he said simple, shrugging. "Ciera's scared of everything though, Maya will come around, and Nikola's opinion doesn't matter much to me."

"Why aren't you scared?" She asked him inquisitively. She took another nibble of the energy bar.

"I can't be, for starters." He smiled. "Brain's all messed up, nothing can scare me. Pretty useful in an arena like this. Even if I could though, I wouldn't be scared of you."

"I almost killed you," she argued.

"But you didn't." He shrugged.

"I tried to."

"And you aren't trying anymore," he shot back immediately.

"You said there can only be one victor," she said, and this time he had no immediate reply. She paused for a moment, turning her gaze back to the blood at her wrist. "You should have killed me."

"Maybe," he said quietly. "Probably. And you should have run those knives right through my heart when I walked up to you without a weapon. That's what they wanted you to do, I'm sure."

"Kill everyone you see," she echoed the instructions that had been given to her. "Failure isn't an option."

Talon set down his cards, looking Lana in the eyes, seemingly searching for something. Finally, he shook his head, picking his cards back up and turning away. "You're right, obviously. The others don't like you being in the alliance after you killed one of us. Nobody liked Udon, but they're all scared. Fear makes people do stupid things." He peered up at her. "It's just human."

He stood up, and made for the door. "You should get some rest," he said. "It'll take a while to heal up fully. We don't have the medicine to speed it up, so you'll be feeling weak for the rest of the Games. You should save the energy that you do have."

His hand was on the doorknob, and Lana felt a burst of panic. "Do you care?" She blurted out, and he paused with his hand on the door, facing away from her.

His body went stiff, and he seemed frozen in place as he paused for a long, lingering moment. Eventually, he shrugged, his back still turned. He opened the door, and before he let it slide closed behind him, he paused. "It's like I said. Fear makes people do stupid things."

The door closed behind him, and she was left staring at her blurred reflection. A droplet of blood stained her cheek, and she brought a hand up, quietly trying to scrub it away.

A/N: A nice deathless chapter for once in the midst of this insanity. Next chapter will be The Park, so keep an eye out for that, probably coming tomorrow! None of the other chapters will be as long as this one probably, expect the rest to be two or maybe three updates. Now don't mind me as I go back to being a complete mess that's incapable of deciding on the victor for this story when every other time I've known who it's gonna be before I start intros.

Trivia(1 point): Any predictions for who's going to be the focus of The Park Chapter? Hint: this one will be a lot more insular (as in, less overall people involved)