Disclaimer:

I do not own the Hunger Games book series. It is the property of Suzanne Collins and the publisher Scholastic Press. The movies are owned by Lionsgate and other associated producers and creators. I am simply a humble fan, writing this for the enjoyment of other fans. Please support the official release.

Training Day 1

Katniss Everdeen

Co-Victor of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games

Having given Nelly the best advice she could the night before, Katniss decided she was going to sleep in. The year before, she had always been up before Peeta, and right now she had time to make up for.

When Peeta finally woke her up, he told her it was time for lunch. Taking a quick shower, and putting on the clothes Cinna had laid out for her, Katniss couldn't shake the strange feeling, even as she ate her favorite lamb stew. It felt so weird to still be up on the twelfth floor, and not down in the gym with the other tributes. But she wasn't a tribute this year; she was a Victor.

Katniss couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of betrayal from Cinna. The outfit he put her in showed more of her skin that she would have liked other people to see. Her arms and legs were covered by black stockings. The shirt clung tighter to her chest that Katniss care for it too. Her blue skirt was a little too high for her liking. And the heels! Why, oh why did he have to put her in heels?

Peeta was wearing a black suit, that looked like her shirt felt; it hugged his chest in all the right places, making sure his muscles could be seen.

Haymitch nodded when he saw her. "Good. You and the boy look ready," he remarked. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Katniss asked, following him to the elevator.

"To paradise," Haymitch answered with a smile. Like her and Peeta, he seemed to be dressed up for some occasion.

"Paradise?" Peeta repeated as the door closed behind them. Haymitch grabbed a flash from his jacket pocket and took a sizable drink. Katniss crossed her arms as he did. Somethings never change.

"It's a casino and hotel. A place where people from the Capitol get together and party. At this time of year, it'll be packed full," he explained, slipping the flask back into his suit. "Or you can call it a Sponsor Pit. You'll find plenty of pits around the city, but Paradise is one of the largest and respected clubs. It was opened for the very first Hunger Games, so it has a long tradition."

"So we're going to a club to get Sponsors?" Katniss asked, a feeling creeping into the pit of her stomach.

"Right you are, sweetheart. It'll be our duty to schmooze the citizens of our great Capitol out of as much money as we can. That money will go to Twelve's tributes."

"That's why we're dressed like this," Katniss said. It clicked. Cinna knew she didn't like being dressed up like a dull. Now she could understand why he did it. Her girl, Peeta's brother, they were counting on them getting Sponsorship money.

"Finally figured out, did you, darling?" Haymitch laughed. Katniss shot him a venomous glare. "I'm going to show you the ins and outs. The Sponsor pits are no joke, and if you're not ready they'll eat you alive. Don't worry, sweetheart. By the time we're done, the two of you will be veterans at this."

Peeta looked at their old mentor. "You're not taking us just to show us the ropes, are you?"

Haymitch chuckled. "You catch on quickly. Right now, you two are the most popular Victors. The newest member of our little club always is, but you're both different. Co-Victors are unheard of. Many of this city's people are just waiting to meet you. So we're going to use your popularity to separate as much money as we can from the lovely people who live here."

Cassandra Arellius

District 2 Female City

At a quarter to ten, their mentors herded them into the elevator. In the outer districts, it had become something of a tradition for their escorts to bring the tributes down to the gym. Enobaria had made sure to impress upon her and Ryker that members of the alliance always go down on their own. Unlike the outliers, they chose to be here.

She and Ryker were the last two to arrive. The other twenty-two tributes were already waiting for the head trainer to arrive. Her eyes narrowed in on the Ones and Fours, and she made a beeline right for them.

The boy from One, Gleam, turned to look at them. His perfect blond curly hair copped his face as he smiled. His teeth were the whitest she had ever seen. His teal eyes bore into her. She had pegged him as one of the ones to look out for during the reaping. Of course, everyone in the alliance was her biggest threat, but something about the Gleam made him stand out from the rest of them.

"Hey Two," he greeted, a cocky smile splitting his lips. "I'm taking charge of the alliance. Anyone who has a problem with that can eat my sword in the arena. After I shove it up your ass."

Cassandra exchanged a look with Ryker, and she had a feeling her district partner might not take kindly to being bossed around. On the other hand, not leading the pack was the smart move. Common sense might dictate that only the strongest would be the leader, but it put a target on your back for the other five members. Her cousin Enobaria had left the girl from Four lead and then murdered her during the break.

Half the time, it was a Two who normally lead the pack. The other half was divided between One and Four. After shrugging at Ryker, Cassandra was fine with this year being one that a Two wasn't in charge. Ryker glowered at him for a moment, which Gleam continued to smile his shit-eating grin. Her district partner slowly nodded.

Neither his partner nor the Fours seemed to want to challenge him. "I'm glad we all understand each other. We're heading to the weapons once this starts. We have to show the folder who's going to come out of this alive."

Cassandra could tell that she wasn't going to like Gleam. Oh, she'd play her part just fine. Pretending to be at ease and friends with everyone in the alliance. That was common sense. The better-united front presented by the pack, the more sponsors they'd get. But when the pack finally broke, Cassandra promised to shove a blade in his throat.

At ten, the head trainer, Atala, finally appeared. Cassandra listened as she welcomed each of them, and went on to explain each one of the different stations. When she finally released them, Cassandra followed the rest of the alliance straight to the weapon station.

Gleam was the first one there and grabbed hold of a spear. He hurled it at one of the training dummies, hitting where the heart would be on a real body.

The boy from Four, Neptune, moved next. Like his older brother, he grabbed a trident and hurled it toward the training dummy next to the one Gleam it. Like the spear, his trident found the dummy's heart. Given who exactly his older brother was, Cassandra wasn't very surprised he could use that weapon.

And like Finnick himself, Neptune wasn't very bad to look at. The boy had a nice ass.

Gleam laughed, grabbing another spear. "You're on, Neptune."

"Think he's compensating for something?" A voice asked. Cassandra turned to see Margaret standing next to her. The girl from Four was watching Gleam with a disgruntled look on her face.

Cassandra looked back at the handsome boy from One. Honestly, she didn't know. "Probably," she answered anyway, causing the other girl to laugh.

Looking around the weapon station, she saw Ryker with Helene, both of them holding swords. They eyed the sword trainer, and Cassandra felt she wasn't going to get her district partner back again anytime soon.

"How are you with throwing knives?" Margaret asked. In truth, it wasn't one of her finer skills. She was better fighting with a knife than throwing them.

"Competent enough," she answered. Her eyes flashed over to the swords, and she looked over each one of them. She was skilled with a sword, but her best weapon was a katana. Katana was a more specialized weapon, and they weren't in the arena every year. This year was a quell, so she hoped her favored weapon would be among those in the arena. Near the back of the swords, she finds a black-handled katana, which she hoped meant that it would be in the arena.

"Come on, let's go throw some knives. We can plan to murder Gleam," Margaret offered.

Cassandra didn't know if she was playing a role or not, but it sounded like a perfectly good time for her.

"After you."

Katniss Everdeen

Co-Victor of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games

The Paradise Hotel and Casino was huge. Their car pulled in on a side road, driving behind the building, but she got a good view of the front. Crowds of people were huge, men and women walking to and from the building. It reminded her of the square in Twelve, where all the merchant's shops were located, only it was a pale imitation of this grandeur.

They entered the building through a back door, and Katniss found herself in the lap of luxury. It reminded her of the Presidential Mansion in a way, displaying wealth at every turn.

That was just the deserted hallway. When they entered one of the casino's official sponsorship sections, it was like stepping into a whole other world. Freakish looking Capitol people moved around the room, dressed in the strangest of clothes she had ever seen. The skin was dyed every color. At first glance, it was hard to see that these freaks were human.

A few of them actually resemble humans, but they were the minority.

Everything went crazy as soon as they were spotted. A woman (at least Katniss thought she was a woman. Honestly she looked more like a blob) screamed when her beady eyes found them. As if sending a signal to the crowd, everyone turned towards them, and suddenly people surrounded her. She was offered drinks, food, gifts, congratulations on her wedding ("I spent a fortune on three tickets!").

Eventually, she accepted a colorful drink, and that was her first mistake. As soon as she downed it, the world suddenly became lighter. She didn't know why she cared so much about her girl back in the tower or even the games. Life was too short to care about things too much.

Haymitch himself had to drag her away. She liked the attention, everyone swooning around her. offering her gifts and promises, and declarations of love. She liked the splendid wealth, and the food, and how everyone wanted to talk to her. She was the center of attention, and she basked in it.

Haymitch shoved a white drink in her hands and made her down it. As soon as it passed her lips. Katniss felt like she was coming out of a haze. For the first time, she noticed Peeta standing behind Haymitch, a strange look on his face.

"We call it the sponsor pit for a reason, sweetheart," Haymitch said once they were in a private room. "These people out here might offer you drugs, or liquor. Best not to take it if you can avoid it. That won't always be possible, but keep that in mind."

When neither of them said anything, Haymitch continued: "It's not easy. These people will flatter you. They'll make you feel special, and as soon as you buy into that, they're done. You'll get lost in this hotel until a cohort of Peacekeepers drags you out. Once you're lost, you won't be collecting money for your tributes. You won't be there to mentor them. You'll be here."

She could understand what he meant, in a way she never would have been able to before. They made you feel like the center of the world. Like you were the single most important person. If someone let their guard down, they'd be sucked in. In that kind of state of mind, who knows what someone might agree to. You had to keep yourself focused on what really mattered. Getting as much money as possible for your tribute, and not fall into the trap.

"It'll get easier," Haymitch after a pause. "The more you do it. The better at it you'll become. Everyone is like this the first time around. That's why the Careers have a whole system to train new Victors for this. The rest of us have to make do the old fashioned way. I'll call a car for you. You can go back to the Training Center. I'll stay here and see if we can get more funds-"

"No," Peeta said, interrupting him. "My brother is here in the Capitol. He needs the money. You said it yourself we're the most popular Victors right now. If I can help collect money for him, I will."

It was rare to see this kind of drive from Peeta. Katniss had a feeling that he would be the kind of person to go above and beyond for his tributes.

"I want to stay too," Katniss said, grabbing his hand. His eyes met hers. "I want to help them as much as I can.

Wallace Branwell

District 9 Male Tribute

"These berries might look similar, but they're not," the survival trainer said. Wallace didn't see how they were different. They were both red and round. "You can see here at the top of the berry. This white spot. If you find a red berry with a white spot, don't eat it. One will put you down with a fever for a day. A few will knock you out for a week. Enough for them will kill you."

Now that the woman pointed it out, Wallace found the white spot on the second berry. Well, at least he wouldn't be dropped down for a day now.

"I've completed the test," Maisie said. Wallace turned to look at her, watching as she handed the trainer the paper.

"Well done," the trainer praised. "You got every question right. It's very rare for a tribute to get this high of a score."

The trainer really looked impressed. If nothing else, as long as Maisie was with him, he wouldn't have to worry about eating the wrong berries in the arena.

"Thank you," his district partner said. When she smiled, her dimples seemed to become more pronounced.

Before the trainer could give them another test, lunch was called, for which Wallace was thankful. He was starving. The head trainer points them to a dining room just off to the side of the gymnasium. The Careers push their way to the front, the boy from One knocking the girl from Twelve out of his way with a laugh. One of the blue-clad games security officers intervened right away, probably thinking she was going to stop a fight.

"I don't like him," Maisie said from his side. She was staring daggers at One.

"I don't like him either," Wallace agreed.

"You think Nelly is okay?" She asked.

"Who's Nelly?" Was his answer.

"She's the girl from Twelve," Maisie said, turning her dagger glare on him. Wallace looked back at the Twelve girl, spotting her crying on the ground.

"She's no Katniss Everdeen," Wallace said, picturing last years Victor. Peeta Mellark might have won with her, but if either of them deserved the title of Victor, it was Everdeen.

Her district partner, a tall blond boy, helped her off the ground. He was glaring at One, who was himself arguing with the security officer. It looks like Nine and the Careers weren't the only allies.

The food was arranged on carts around the room, and the tributes served themselves. Wallace looked his plate with chicken and bread rolls, taking care to pick the bread from home. As a field hand, seeing the bread made from his districts grain enraged him. The Capitol stole most of the grain from Nine, and it ended up in this horrible city, helping to fatten up the pigs that live there.

"Wallace?" Maisie called. "Are you alright?"

He turned to look at her. She must have noticed the look on his face.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he said.

"Let's grab a table," Maisie suggested. Wallace nodded and let her pick out one. She picks one near the far side of the wall, which was fine with him. Other than them, a few of the tributes seemed to be in small groups, but none as large as the Careers. Seated at the table in the center of the room, the tributes from One, Two and Four laughed openly together. As if saying they weren't afraid. Why would they be? They were cheaters, allowed to train before they ever set foot on the train.

"Wallace, look," Maisie said. She pointed back into the gym, at purple-robed men and women talking to the trainers. "Those are the Gamemakers."

The people responsible for controlling the arena. It was them who decided which tribute would win, and which would lose. While they were allowed to sit back in the Capitol and get fat, Wallace would be out fighting for his life.

"What about them?" He asked, jabbing one of his scrambled eggs with a fork.

"Do you think they're as bad as everyone says?" Maisie asked.

Wallace nodded. "You have to be a special kind of person to become a Gamemaker."

An evil person. The kind of person who didn't mind murdering children for a so-called crime that had been committed seventy-five years ago. What crime had he committed that deserved throwing him into the games? What had Maisie done to deserve her slot?

"Don't worry about them. Let's eat," he said.

It was easier said than done.

Katniss Everdeen

Co-Victor of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games

"Who are they?" Katniss asked, point out across the floor. She had seen every strangely dressed person in the hotel, but they stood out among the crowd. A small group of people were moving through the crowd, all wearing an identical white suit. A sash crossed their bodies, and they were a strange kind of hat she had never seen before.

What really caught her eye was the weapon strapped to their hips. It was illegal for citizens to own firearms, even here in the Capitol. Outside of the Peacekeepers, only the highest-ranking members of the government were allowed that privilege.

She had seen Peacekeepers here in the Capitol. Compared to those in the districts, the ones patrolling the streets were tame. They, even more, a less intimidating uniform. Here they really did keep the peace, though Haymitch said a more militarized garrison was stationed in the Capitol itself. The Peacekeepers out on the streets here didn't have the kind of military training most of them did. The ones on the street were not soldiers.

Peeta frowned.

"I don't know," he answered, watching as they disappeared into the crowd. "Officers out of uniform?"

Katniss didn't believe it. The white close was clearly a uniform. As the three of them were leaving hours later, she brought up the men to Haymitch. Her mentor eyed her carefully.

"You saw them?" He asked sharply. She nodded. Haymitch cursed. "They're called the Praetorian Guard. They're the secret service. The most elite members of the Peacekeepers brought to the Capitol from the districts. None of them are Capitol citizens. They live and operate out of the Presidential Mansion. They're Snow's personal guard, his key enforcers in the city. If they're seen outside the mansion, it means Snow has either personally sent them out, or they're on a mission. They usually investigate people that threaten the order of Panem. If Snow leaves his mansion, the Praetorian Guard is with him at all times."

"So if he sent them out," Peeta started.

"Then someone in this hotel is about to have a very bad day," Haymitch agreed. "Come on, we don't want to stay if the Praetorian Guard is here."

Rance Walker

District 3 Female Tribute

She was having a really bad day.

Rance knew she was a dead woman walking. Unless the arena was an abandoned city or some arena with parts she could work with, there was no way she was going to survive. Her skills lie in technology, not fighting. Not survival.

Put a malfunctioning holoscreen in her hands and she'd have it fixed up in a day. Put a knife in her hands and tell her to kill someone? Unless it was someone smaller, and more were underfed than her, she wasn't going to win that fight.

All her dreams of getting one of the better tech jobs in the district were gone. She had wanted to become one of the well-paid engineers, who could afford to live in the better parts of Three.

Rance knew that path in life was closed to her. If she lost, she died. If she won, Rance would be a Victor. She wouldn't need to work for the rest of her life. Her family could come live with her in Victor's Village.

She was going to die. No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, imagines of past games came flooding into her mind. Last year when Katniss Everdeen dropped the nest of Tracker Jackers onto the Careers. The Seventy-First games in the volcano. Five years ago, when the dam broke, and four of the five remaining tributes all drowned to death. She pictured herself in each one of the situations, dying over and over again.

Rance didn't want to die. She wasn't about to bend over and let someone kill her. When it came down to it, Rance would fight. She would kill if she had to.

"You've scored a thirteen percent," the survivalist teacher said apologetically. Rance stared down at the scorecard he held out, noticing most of the answers had red marks.

"Hey, do you need help?" A voiced said. Rance looked over and saw the girl from Twelve. The one who had been crying earlier. "I'm really good at this kind of thing. Hunting for plants is common in the Seam."

Rance didn't know what the dark-haired girl meant by Seam, but her light-haired district partner seemed to. "Really?" The boy from Twelve asked.

The girl gave him a look. "We don't all grow up in a bakery," the girl said.

Rance knew that Peeta Mellark came from a family of bakers. Everyone in the entire country knew that. The rest was lost on her.

Rance knew that life in Twelve was a lot different than in her district. Three was founded in the husk of an old North American city. The wall that surrounded it made sure no one could leave, and while there was fauna all around the district (she had only learned this when she became a tribute and left Three on the train), inside the wall there was no.

She wondered how her life might have turned out if she had been born in Twelve. Would she talk about eating plants so casually?

"So, we were wondering if you wanted to ally with us?" Nelly asked out of the blue.

"Me? You want me?" Rance asked, disbelievingly. Unless it was the right kind of arena or the right person was reaped, Three never made it far into the games. Why would they want her?

When she asked this, Nelly shrugged. "You remind me of my friend back home."

Helene Dulac

District 1 Female Tribute

Augustus stared daggers at her when she came up from training. Gleam was off with Cashmere and Gloss, his cousins, and that just left her with her Augustus. The other two Victor's of her team were out gathering sponsors for her, but she didn't know how long that would hold out.

"Helene, are you trying to break our traditions?" Her uncle asked.

"No, I-" she started to defend herself, only to get glared down by her uncle.

"District One is always part of the Alliance. How do you think we pull in Victor's as often as we do?" He asked in a sarcastic voice. "You want to leave it? Why?"

It was a simple question. "I don't want to get stabbed in the back," she answered.

Augustus shook his head. "That' a risk about joining the Alliance, but the one you're going to have to take."

"I'm getting out the first chance I get," she said strongly.

"Then you won't have any sponsors!" Her uncle hissed, narrowing his eyes at her. "One, Two and Four always have a list of dedicated sponsors. We have a finite amount of denarii. Gleam is running the pack this year. He's going to remain until it breaks. Once you break away from the back, your odds for victory will go down. You'll be less likely to win, and fewer people will want to sponsor you. We can only try to save one of you. Why would we put effort into someone who is less likely to survive? The pack offers protection. You'll have none. As far as the outlier tributes are concerned, you're a Career, and none of them will be jumping up to be your ally. So tell me, why waste time trying to get you home when Gleam has a much better chance?"

When he put it that way, Helene didn't have a ready answer. But staying with the pack could be just as dangerous. They could turn on her, overwhelming her in a second. Stab her in the back when she wasn't looking.

Her uncle sighed. Some of the rage he wore on his face just a moment ago was gone. "Helene. Staying with the pack is expected. The sponsors, the other mentors, everyone expects it. At least until the numbers are wilted down. The most important weapon you have in the games is your own instincts. Always trust them. If you feel like you should run, and you have the chance, take it. That said, leaving the pack early might mark you for death. If you run too early, they'll make hunting you down a priority. The Gamemakers might drive you towards them just for the entertainment value. I'd strongly recommend you remain with the pack until you're down to ten tributes. With over half the field left being your allies, it will make abandoning the group look smarter. You'll be seen as too clever to be caught up in the battle once the pack breaks."

Helene mulled over his words. He made sense. If she escaped on the first day, it was very much a possibility the Gamemakers lead the pack right to her, just so the country could see how the pack dealt with traitors.

"Okay, uncle," she agreed. For now, she'd stay with them. But at the first sign something was wrong, Helene vowed she wouldn't stick around. All things considered, she still might break the first chance she gets, but the idea of the pack making a show out of her has made her (at the very least) consider how her plans might affect her.

"Is that all?" She asked, slipping a smile to her face. She hoped he hadn't heard about her interview angle.

"Helene, why did Velvet tell me you wanted to try another approach to your interviews?" Augustus asked casually.

Damn it!

Author's Note:

Hello! I hope you enjoyed the sixth chapter!

In case you wanted a visual example, the normal Peacekeepers in the districts are dressed like the Peacekeepers that came in Catching Fire. The Peacekeepers on the streets of the Capitol are dressed like the ones we see in the first movie. The Praetorian Guard's are dressed like men who escorted Seneca to the room with the berries at the end of the first Hunger Games movie.