Dean watches the sun set through the window of his makeshift safe haven. He knows where west is now, which means he knows the rest of the directions. He knows he'll have to find Jo soon, but the thought of venturing out of the room where tributes could be hiding around every corner, makes him shy away from the door. Especially now that light is dying. They won't be able to see him very well, but the reverse is also true. The double-edged sword.

Besides, those that survived the Cornucopia now have weapons, torches, and alliances. They'll keep hunting throughout the night.

Hopefully none of the Careers notice the drying mud patch Dean had created. He hadn't been able to bring himself to use all his water to camouflage his backpack, so some spots of orange peek out from the brown, but at least it's more camouflaged than it had been earlier.

As night falls, the air grows significantly cooler. With a mixture of annoyance and concern, Dean realizes he will have to find Jo. He wishes she wasn't here so he wouldn't have to worry about anyone but himself, but she is. He can't change that. All Dean can do is keep her safe.

If only he had the gun.

I'll stay here until the death recap, Dean decides. He'll need to go to the very top of the building in order to see it without sticking his head out of a window. That poses another risk; the door on the ground floor is locked, but very easily a tribute could make it through a window on one of the higher floors by jumping off the roof of a slightly shorter building. Dean can't risk leaving his pack on the bottom floor. He shrugs it on, despite the strain making his shoulders ache, and takes the stairs two at a time. His lips become even more dry with every breath he takes, his lungs and calves burning, but he continues on. In the arena there is no time for weakness, no time for rest.

Dean has to climb up seven staircases. At each landing, he enters carefully, flame torch ready to scorch someone to ashes and machete ready to hack someone to bits. But each floor is empty. He locks the windows, though it won't be much use if someone crashes through them. He also locks the doors that lead to some sort of weird metal staircase on the outside of the building. The metal isn't solid but sort of a sturdy mesh. Some people are scared to walk on mesh like that, but Dean doubts anyone in the Games will be held back by a hindrance such as that.

It's a good ambush place, though. Also a good escape route. Lucky the doors lock from the inside.

Finally the last flight of stairs leads to the roof. Dean is higher than he's ever been before. It can't help but remind Dean of the elevator, but at least the elevator had been closed off. If the wind picks up, Dean could fall off the roof. What an anticlimactic way to die.

"Oh, no," Dean says aloud. "This is much worse."

So he stays right by the door, one hand on the handle, as he waits for the death recap. He needs to know what he's heading into.

Haven's anthem starts to play and Dean's head jerks up, eyes wide in anticipation. This is it. Does he continue north or go back to the Cornucopia to wipe out the Careers? Does he continue north and hoard his rations to give to Jo or will he be able to focus on himself solely?

(Somewhere deep inside Dean realizes he'd never really be able to focus solely on himself.)

The seal of the Capitol appears. It looks like it's floating in the sky, but Dean's just looking at another screen projected by the Capitol's disappearing hovercraft.

After the final warbles of the anthem, the screen goes dark. If Dean was at home, he would be watching the recap of every tribute's death just in case he'd missed them, like if he'd gone to the bathroom or something. Those same recaps aren't shown to the tributes, though, because it's seen as an unfair advantage. Revealing anyone's secret talents. Telling the tributes who killed their partners. The Capitol wants the Games to be merciless bloodshed, not premeditated killing out of revenge.

In the arena, all Dean sees is the headshots that had been shown when their training scores had been televised. Instead of scores, though, district numbers appear. Dean ticks the fallen tributes off on his fingers as they appear on the screen.

The first face that appears is Peter Sweeney from District 3. His death is surprising; Careers usually survive the first day. But that means Bela isn't dead and neither is Vam. Rugaru isn't dead, either. Maybe the feuding Careers will take each other out, Dean thinks hopefully. But reality clocks him in the face and makes him admit to himself that it's unlikely to happen.

The next face that appears is Jin Lee from District 6 and Dean cries aloud with relief. Jo isn't dead. Yet. He needs to find her.

Rak Shasa from District 6 has also died too. Dean hadn't been expecting that; she'd seemed tough during training.

The girl from District 8, Lamia Greenster, and District 9's girl, Tracy Bell, are dead as well. Dean had completely forgotten about Kubrick but once the hobbled boy's shown on the screen Dean realizes he miscounted. There are only fifteen people left in the arena including Dean. Thirteen he needs to kill.

District 11's boy, Croco Tas, is dead, and so are both District 12 tributes. Neither of those are surprising. Dean can't help but feel a little sick when Baku's face is shone on the screen, remembering that he'd ripped the backpack from his dead fingers, and is relieved when the girl tribute he'd arrived with, Wraith Williams, is shown. It may be dumb of him to not want his competition to die, but the part of him that John molded into a soldier is larger.

At least little Krissy Williams isn't dead.

A little traitorous voice whispers in the back of his mind, Yet.

The Capitol seal is shown with a musical flourish before it fades out. The sounds of the forest surrounding the buildings are faint but they carry throughout the eerie silence of the abandoned district.

District 13, Dean thinks a little derisively. It's like he's really in the 13th District. What makes the metaphor even more perfect is that the real-life District 13 is abandoned just like this one. Who knows; maybe all the tributes were flown out to the actual place. Maybe they really are in District 13 again. Maybe the Capitol had rebuilt it just to pull this stunt, to tell the rebels again that the Capitol is in charge. That you can't rebel. That all your children will die before any rebellion ever succeeds.

Well, Naomi's out of luck. John Winchester is the most stubborn bastard she'll ever have to deal with. He won't stop with the rebellion when Dean dies; in fact, it'll probably spur him on further. No matter what she does to John, save killing him, he won't stop. And he won't even stop then. Dean's sure that John's ghost will come back to haunt him, goading him further into the maws of death while simultaneously insisting that Sam be protected at all costs.

That's not going to happen, Dean reminds himself. I'm going to die in this arena. A rebellion is the least of my worries. Worry about how and when you're going to die now, so you can protect Jo as long as possible.

From what Dean's seen of previous Hunger Games, the strong band together to hunt the weak until they're all gone and tensions are running too high. He wouldn't necessarily be considered 'weak' but there's still a target on his back from getting an 11 during training, and stealing the spotlight by confessing to his undying love for Jo. He starts to second-guess himself. Should he just stay in the building for now? Or does he need to find Jo? For all he knows, she could be in trouble. Not yet dead but getting there.

Dean laments not knowing the layout of the arena beforehand. He doesn't know if Jo stopped at the northernmost building in the faux-district or kept going until the woods. Nevertheless, he starts a steady process down the stairs, very aware of every shuffle his boots make against the clean floor.

His fingers hover over the small bump in his arm where the tracker was injected. He'd pressed on it while Charlie walked him to the Launch Room hard enough to create a small bruise. If only he could use the technology to see where Jo is as well.

Dean's on the third floor when he hears a commotion outside. As quietly as he can, he opens up the door he'd locked and steps slightly out onto the landing of the weird metal staircase. He can't see much in the dim lighting, but he can make out the sound of an unmistakable fight happening. Just as he'd suspected, the Careers are out hunting again.

There's a roar and a brief flare of light. Dean's obviously not the only one with a flame torch. The light had allowed him to see at least four shapes—probably Bela, either Vam or Rugaru, Constance, and Wendy, given the Career districts' tendencies to stay away from the other districts—surrounding a figure on the ground. Judging by the pleading that reaches Dean's ears, it's a boy. Can't be Rugaru; his voice is much too deep and Dean can't imagine him ever pleading for his life. It could be Vam, but that's unlikely as well. The Careers rarely turn on each other until the very end of the Games, at least apart from during the bloodbath when they can be fairly sure that they won't be held responsible for their actions. Sure, if a strong Career gets taken out during the Bloodbath, the Careers will all suspect each other, but rarely will they fight amongst themselves.

That does provide an interesting loose cannon to watch out for; one of the two strongest Career tributes is running around, probably angry that his district partner has ditched him.

Dean barely hears the thwip and wet shink of a knife flying through the air and hitting its target. Wendy Igo's definitely down there, then. None of the other Careers had wasted their time on small projectile weapons. They'd focused on their clubs, axes, and spears. Well, apart from Bela, that is. But she'd only stolen the gun to keep it away from everyone else. Right?

Dean hopes to God they don't see the staircase and if they do, they don't try to climb up it. There are hundreds of other buildings for the districts to be hiding in, after all! The odds… but the odds haven't been in Dean's favor since this whole catastrophe started. Maybe they never were. Maybe that's what happens when you're born to two Victors. Their bad luck from being reaped had combined into mega-bad-luck that Dean had inherited. Sucks to be him.

"Let's keep going," Dean hears the boy say. It's definitely Rugaru, which is a bit surprising and worrying at the same time. Now Vam's the loose cannon, and he's got the biggest bone to pick with Dean. At the same time, he's surprised that Bela would leave her district partner like that. Apart from the small stab wound he'd gotten from Dean, he'd looked extremely competent.

A cannon goes off and Dean winces, involuntarily making the staircase creak a little bit. He almost freezes, but John had beaten that instinct out of him years ago, so he just creeps back closer to the door on the off-chance one of the Careers heard him.

One of the girls tries the lock on the door and Dean congratulates himself on his quick thinking when she complains that it's locked.

"Does anyone know how to pick locks?" Constance asks.

Dean hears the shuffling of feet but nobody actually speaks up. Finally Rugaru offers to kick the door down. Dean sits up sharply. He'd love for that to happen, but not when he's only a few floors above the room in question.

"No," Bela says sharply. She seems like the sort of person that would take control of a group like that. Maybe they'll realize later that it's suspicious that only that door is locked and they'll come back to it. "We have everything we need at the moment. That would just be drawing attention to ourselves."

Can't you afford to draw attention? Dean wonders, lowering himself into a crouch so he can better see the motley group. He can't attack them right now, not when it would be one against four. They must be nervous about Vam being away at the moment. This unsettles him even more than the thought of being hunted by the Careers; that something else might be hunting them too.

"Let's go," Bela commands, her voice tight. "Right now our priorities are Lover Boy and Cole Trenton."

Dean frowns. Lover—Oh. He sits up straight, the blood rushing out of his face. His confession about Jo. The Careers are looking specifically for him and Cole. There was nothing special he had seen about the District 7 boy during training, save for the muted glances he'd shot Dean's way. He just seemed like the sort of person who would scowl at his competition, though, so Dean hadn't thought any more about it. Maybe the Careers had been more threatened by his nine than Dean had originally thought. They'd definitely hated Dean's eleven and show-stealing confession.

The Careers slink off. They may be worried about not drawing attention to themselves by kicking down a door, but they're sure not worried about drawing attention to themselves by using the flame torch. To pass the time before it's safe to leave, he tries to think of nicknames to give to Castiel, but all he can think of is 'Cassie', which is coincidentally also the name of a village girl from District 5. Dean had taken her to a dance in his eighth year. It's not right to name Castiel, Castiel who's never had a nickname before, after a girl Dean had 'dated' for about two weeks.

Dean knows exactly when it's safe for him to climb down the staircase and slink off in the opposite direction as them. Thankfully they'd been headed west. Cassie, Cassie, Cassie… Cal? Cas'iel (like how Sam had called Jo 'Jo'na' for a few years growing up)? Castle, maybe?

Maybe he'll have lots of time to ponder it during these Games. Maybe he'll be able to avoid all the fighting and let everyone else kill each other before he and Jo emerge, victorious, from whatever place they'd been holed up in.

Right now our priorities are Lover Boy and Cole Trenton, the memory whispers in Dean's ear.

John would tell Dean to attack first. He would tell Dean to go after them before they can go after him. But Dean simply isn't prepared to do that.

He doesn't want to do that.

Sam would tell Dean to survive. No matter how.

So he'll still do it.

Just… not at this exact moment.

We're going to overthrow the Capitol. We're going to stop the Games.

Look what his work's done now. It's a warning.

We got sloppy during our last meeting.

Sam hadn't known what his brother and father were talking about then. But he's not stupid, and the second he got the last puzzle piece he'd finished the picture. Dean thinks John trying to stop the Games is why Sam's name was picked from the bowl. But that's not possible! There are thousands of names in that bowl. Placing Sam's just so Castiel would pull it out would be impossible. Dean must be wrong. It was just a coincidence.

The first day of the Games had been a holiday so everyone could watch. The second day, though, nothing rarely happens, so school is on. Sam had walked into school on time, wearing the same clothes he usually wears, but everything had been different. Dean hadn't been walking with him and John was out so Sam walked alone. The entire district has been watching him warily, with pity in their eyes. Like he's a bad luck charm. Like Dean's already dead.

No, Sam snaps to himself, swiping a hand over his eyes just in case they start to water. Dean's fine. He will be fine. He'll come back to me.

Sam can't concentrate. What if, while Mr. Wallace teaches him about multiplication, Dean gets hurt? What if something happens to Jo and Sam doesn't even figure out until later? Lunch can't come quickly enough. He needs to be able to watch the screen and make sure that Dean and Jo are fine.

The second the bell rings for his third period, Sam's out the door. He doesn't even hear Mr. Wallace calling for him.

Technically, he has third lunch, but he heads to the cafeteria with everyone in first lunch. Everyone notices but no one has the heart to force him back to his own class. They just give him a wide berth as Sam sits in the table directly in front of the screen, eyes wide as he watches the recap of what they'd missed and what's happening now.

Sam's heart leaps up into his throat when he sees Dean on the screen, bandaging a cut on his arm. The broadcast then changes to Jo running with a white box in her hands, her hair streaming out behind her. Her eyes are wide and Sam recognizes that look. She's terrified.

The footage cuts out to the shot of Vam Pyre, holding a hand to his stabbed side, stumbling into the forest. Sam hopes he bleeds out for attacking Dean. If only Dean had finished him off.

Sam finds he can breathe easier when the other tributes are on the screen. It means nothing special is happening to Dean. He's getting time to get his thoughts in order before he kills everyone. He's going to be fine.

Just as the clock hits high noon, the Capitol's seal appears on the screen, ushered in by the familiar Haven anthem. It's death recap.

Dean's face shows up first and Sam's stomach drops. Then he realizes that it's just because it's a split-second clip of Dean also watching the death recap last night. He's standing on top of a building, stars unfolding all around him. It's a beautiful shot, if Dean wasn't locked in an arena so he could fight to the death. This footage must have been recorded last night, but Sam can't help but feel like it's happening right now.

Sam barely cares as he sees Cole Trenton from District 7 pick up an axe and cut off Peter Sweeney's hand, then his head. Rugaru Mills from District 2 impales Jin Lee with his spear at the same time as Constance Welch from the same district swings a spiked club into Rak Shasa's head. The club's stuck until she eventually has to put a foot on Rak's body to wrench it out. The District 2 tributes exchange glances and Sam recognizes an alliance being formed. Maybe one that's already formed.

Lycan Thorpe from District 8 had pounced on his partner, Lamia Greenster, and stabbed her in the chest the moment he got his hands on a knife. Sam winces as he watches. If Lycan was to win, could he go home, knowing that he'd be surrounded by friends and family of the girl he just killed?

It's a good thing he doesn't need to worry about that. Dean's coming home.

Tracy Bell from District 9 was felled by Vam Pyre. Kubrick's death was recapped, not that anyone could forget it. It was probably the first suicide in the Games in years. No doubt District 10 will be humiliated for their cowardly tribute.

Croco Tas from District 11 is also dead. Peter Sweeney had killed him by strangling before he, too, had died.

Baku Sun was also killed by Wendy Igo. He'd only been a few feet away from Dean and Sam's throat closes up at the thought of that knife being only a few inches to the left. The girl he came with, Wraith Williams, was killed by Ava Wilson. Wraith had jumped her, probably thinking of the way Ava hadn't been able to stop crying when she was reaped, but the District 10 girl bashed her brains in with a rock she found lying on the ground.

But Dean's fine. Jo's fine.

Sam lets out a relieved breath and slumps down in his seat. Dean's fine. Dean's fine. Dean's fine, he's fine, he'll be fine, he'll come home. Sam misses him so much. He misses Dean hogging the blankets and bed. He misses Dean's snores. He just misses Dean.

Watching Dean mess around with the room he's hiding in isn't quite the same thing. It takes Sam a little bit to realize what Dean's doing, but once Dean steps back to admire his handiwork, Sam realizes. The next person that steps into the room Dean was hiding in will burn.

The shot changes again just as the principal steps into the cafeteria and calls for Sam. If he tries to make Sam go to class, Sam will throw the biggest fit imaginable. They shouldn't have expected him to go to school at all while Dean is away.

Sam shoots one more glance at the screen, which is showing Lycan struggling to set up traps for whatever wildlife is living in the arena, before following the principal.

John is waiting in the principal's office. "Come on, Sam," is all he says, heaving himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in.

"Can we just watch?" Sam asks in a small voice, hurrying to keep up with his father's larger strides. He likes watching with John. John always knows more than Sam does, like when Dean had said that he loved Jo and John had simply snorted and told Sam they were trying to pull something off. It reassured Sam. He thought Jo was like his sister, and he knows that nobody's supposed to love their sister like that.

"Yes," John says shortly. "I don't see why I thought you could concentrate on school when Dean's away," he adds with a short burst of laughter.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"I don't want Dean to die."

John doesn't respond for a long time. When he does, it's just a quick, "Me neither." Sam had expected him to say that Dean wouldn't die. The fact that he didn't makes Sam's stomach churn.

Ellen is waiting at their house by the time John and Sam get back. This is unusual only because Jo isn't with her. Normally the two families watch the Games together so Jo and Dean can joke around and the adults can talk and try to not pay attention to the broadcast. Watching the Games is required, but watching the Games is impossible to enforce.

The television is already on. Ava Wilson is trying to break down a door to get inside a building but she's trying to do it without making noise. Even Sam could pick the lock on that door, and he snorts derisively.

Eventually the shot changes back to a group of four people. Sam recognizes them as the District 1 girl, both District 2 tributes, and the District 3 girl. For a brief second a shot of the District 9 boy is shown. He's trying to light a fire behind a building, but his panicked breaths and shuffling feet are giving him away.

Once he's killed, District 9 is down for the count. Normally their tributes last a little bit longer.

The group of tributes—Sam recognizes them as Careers—talks a bit more before they mention that their next priorities are Lover Boy and Cole Trenton. The shot pans up to reveal that Dean is crouching on the metal staircase attached to the building they're talking right next to. He's heard them plotting. He knows their plan. Sam gasps. He can just imagine how furious the Careers would be if they looked up and saw him. Furious—and also delighted. A pit curdles in Sam's stomach.

"Come on, boy," John mutters. "Get 'em."

But Dean doesn't move.

The shot changes to Jo. She'd been dozing off in a tree until what sounded like a stampede wakes her. She lifts her head, blinks a few times, and turns.

There's a wall of fire closing in on her.

Ellen says a word Sam isn't allowed to repeat.