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.

Arena - Day 4

Gale Hawthorne

District 12 Citizen

He left the Justice Building with a plaque and two hundred denarii for his loss. The plan went off without a hitch, and after a whole day spent with the Peacekeepers, the mayor let him go. As far as Twelve's authorities were concerned, he had just lost his whole family. Even old Cray was quiet, though that probably stemmed from the fact that he might not be getting any wild turkey soon. After all, if Gale Hawthorne was too affected by the deaths of his family, would he be able to hunt?

For his part, Gale had played shell shocked. He didn't cry or scream, instead acting quiet and subdued. They had bought the act, and now he had two months' worth of payments in the mine. Now that his and Katniss' families were both in District 13, protected from starving to death and the government, Gale wouldn't be returning to the mine. He could spend all his days hunting, selling food at the Hob, and giving it away to the miners on their breaks. He was at least on good terms with most of them, and they would provide the backbone of Twelve's resistance when it finally came time to rebel. Until then, it was his job to try and convince as many of them as possible to eventually take up arms against the Capitol. At the same time, he would have to try and get the town on his side as well. Fresh meat would go along way on that venture as well.

For right now he was going to go to the foreman, quit his job, and then go hunting. The woods always helped clear his mind, and it wouldn't be suspicious at all for him to take a trip. It was well known in Twelve he was a hunter.

Mr. Mellark came out behind him. The old baker nodded at him, which he returned. It seemed Peeta's father was as good of an actor as his son. He cried and screamed in the right place. Told the Peacekeepers he was up late baking a special cake for Peeta and Katniss when they came back. He even had a cake as proof.

Gale watched the baker walk away, his eyes still red from crying.

Sequoya Gardner

District 7 Female Tribute

The river Sequoya found seemed to run through the forest, which was good since it gave them a source of water. Though she had watched enough Hunger Games not to blindly trust a source of water. It was better to boil it. But that would involve starting a fire, and it might draw the Career's attention. Then again they hadn't had anything to drink since the day they fled the palace. She was thirstier than she ever recalled being, and that was dangerous.

"So, do we want to risk it?" Wren asked from her side. Sequoya looked over at him and thought about it. If they got the Career's attention, they'd be hunted. They might even be killed. If they didn't get clean water to drink, they'd definitely die. It was a risk, but it looked like one they'd have to take. Unless Johanna or Blight was going to do her a favor and send her something...

Sequoya looked up at the sky but saw no parachute coming. The only sponsor gift they'd had so far was two empty water bottles, and a pot to boil, along with a metal stand to hold it over a fire. They must not have enough denarii for anything more expensive.

"I think we'll have to take the chance," Sequoya said regretfully. If they were lucky, no one would see the smoke.

"Good. I feel like I'm dying of thirst already," Wren muttered.

"Go fill up the pan," Sequoya ordered, pointing at the river. She gathered the twigs and sticks, assembling them in a small fire. Grabbing two other twigs, she quickly brought them together. It took her a hot minute, but she managed to get the fire started.

Sequoya sat back and grinned. She didn't even care that smoke was rising into the sky. Wren came back, setting the pan of water on the stand above the fire.

"Where did you learn how to do this?" He asked, turning to her.

Sequoya grinned. "Back home. Everyone on my work crew can start a fire. We usually cook lunch out at the logging sites."

"Sequoya," Brendan's voice whispered in her ear. A shiver ran up her spine and the girl jumped up, grabbing her axe. There was no one behind her when she looked.

Brendan couldn't be talking. He was dead. The Career's murdered him on the first day. Am I losing it? She thought to herself.

"What is it?" Wren asked, jumping up.

"I... I thought I heard someone," she muttered. She wasn't about to tell him that she heard the voice of her dead district partner.

"You think there's a Career out there?" Her current partner asked.

"No... I think we're good. At least for now," she muttered.

"Sequoya! Look!" Wren called. She whipped her head around, raising her axe. Was there an enemy? Was it Brendan? She was expecting to see a tribute, instead, she found herself staring at a sponsor gift in Wren's hand. "Dried beef. Finally, I'm hungry. Something that's not berries."

Her body relaxed and she dropped her axe to her side.

Temperance Hale

Capitol Citizen

"I'm sorry about Kia," she told her aunt. She had been back on the train when she had died. Her aunt was always distant with her tributes, but Temperance knew she cared for the children under her care. Temperance had seen Mercedes when she came home with two dead bodies year after year. Personally, Temperance thought all the deaths were what made her so bitter.

Mercedes nodded. "Yes. So am I. Right now we have to do everything we can for Romeo."

"Excuse me," the rainbow-haired waitress said, coming up to her table. "I have your order. Fried- Oh my gosh! You're Mercedes Oto!"

Her aunt nodded tiredly. "Yes, I am. My order?"

"I have it right here!" The young girl said, gesturing to the platter she was holding. "Can I get your autograph? You're my dad's favorite Victor! He's a huge supporter of Six!"

She was from a family of Six supporters? That had been one of the strangest things she had learned when she came from the Capitol. There were people who latched onto a district and supported them in the games each year. Bet on them, sponsor them. Even Twelve had its supporters, though they were the smallest. She might be in the Capitol now, but she was from Six. It was the only district she could see herself sponsoring.

Mercedes glare turned icy. "I thought this establishment had professional service," she hissed.

Temperance felt a little guilty at that statement. It was her idea to come to Apollo's. It was supposed to be one of the finest eating establishments in the Capitol.

Her aunt's comment seemed to shame the waitress enough. The girl mumbled her apology and set their food on the table. Temperance grabbed her roasted duck stew and pulled it towards her. Before she could apologize to her aunt, the private room's holoscreen flickered to life, and Caesar Flickerman smiled out at them. Unlike even the television she had in her room back in Six, the ones in the Capitol could turn on automatically. Either for a government announcement, or mandatory games viewing.

"Well Claudius, it seems the biggest alliance is in a pinch," Caesar said like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He laughed his signature laugh.

"Quite indeed, Caesar," Templesmith said. Suddenly the two hosts were in a box in the corner. Five of the six Careers were moving down a hallway when a door from the ceiling opened. Three mutts came out, appearing as a cross between a human and wolf. The mutts rushed them and suddenly they were fighting for their lives.

"Folks watching at home with a keen eye might recognize some similarities between these monsters and the wolves that were released during the finale of last year's Hunger Games!" Templesmith said excitedly. "They are, in fact, related! These mutts are the prototype for those magnificent marvels of genetic engineering! In fact, we have a special guest in the studio to help us analyze what we're seeing! Please welcome the President of the Mutt Appreciation Society-"

"Off," Mercedes called. The holoscreen flicked off. "Unless it's something to do with a tribute from Six, I don't watch the games when I'm eating if I'm not at my station."

Temperance could relate. She wasn't a mentor; she had never been in the Hunger Games, but she hated the games. Being in the Capitol while they were going on was its own kind of special hell. No matter where she went, Temperance couldn't escape the games. It must have been worse for a mentor who had more to worry about.

"I asked my uncle for more money. He was happy to hand it out," Temperance admitted. As someone who had come from Six, it was mind-blowing just thinking about how much money he had. How it was so easy for him to give it away. "I want to give Romeo more money."

Mercedes stopped her spoon a few feet from her mouth. A wiry smile slipped across her lips. "Really? I'm sure Aero will be excited to hear it."

Temperance nodded. It was the least she could do. She might be living in the Capitol, the niece of a wealthy and powerful citizen, but she had no power in the grand scheme of things. With the connections she was inheriting, Temperance might just be able to change that.

Helene Dulac

District 1 Female Tribute

It was the first time she had been left alone to watch the alliance's supplies, and she wasn't taking the chance to run. It wasn't her uncle's advice that kept her where she was, though that was a part of it. She'd play her role, and act nice and friendly with her allies, but she knew they'd stab her in the back the first time she showed any weakness. Or when the numbers of tributes were to whittled down.

No, what really kept here where she was what she had seen yesterday. Call it a ghost, or a hologram, or an illusion, but the image of the dead girl was still fresh in her mind. Gleam said it was a Gamemaker trick, and he was probably right. Intellectually she knew that, but seeing the dead girl standing before her, talking? It scared the hell out of her.

If it was a Gamemaker trick, where was it going to end? She doubted it would be with ghosts.

Her thoughts drifted away from the ghost she saw yesterday when the scent of smoke hit her nose. Helene frowned, her eyes going towards the palace. She almost expected to see the palace burning, but the white stone stood solid in the sunlight.

Turning towards the forest, she could smoke coming out. Which probably meant that there were some tributes hidden away in the woods. Gleam wouldn't be happy to hear about that. It was him who said there wouldn't be anyone over there.

The gleam of a parachute caught her attention and she looked up. Yep, there was a sponsor gift coming down right towards her. She reached up and caught it, bringing the case towards her.

Was her uncle the sender? Why? They had more than enough food and weapons. The only thing they really might need was medicine.

Helene ripped the lid off. A pair of ruby red shoes staring up at her. Shoes. Someone sent her shoes. What was the point? The boots she had on here still intact.

It took her a moment to release these were the same shoes that were given to students back home in the Academy. They were specialized running shoes...

Running shoes...

Throwing the shoes down, Helene sprinted towards the opening of the palace door. As soon as she passed the threshold, it started to rain. What came down from the sky wasn't water though. It was a green liquid. She didn't even want to think about what the green liquid might be.

"Helene?" Gleam called from behind her. Coming down from one of the crystal staircases was her alliance. Their clothes were ripped and torn. Neptune had a bloody arm, but otherwise, they looked... Okay enough. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting out of the rain," she answered cheerfully. "What happened to you? An upstart outlier get in a few good hits?"

"Mutts," Ryker answered.

Odysseus Maris

Victor of the Forty-Eighth Hunger Games

He looked over to Augustus and nodded at the younger Victors' prudence. He had the funds to burn money at this point in time, and his tribute understood his warning. The green acid rain had started at the edge of the forest, getting the pair from Seven and Ten first. It was lucky for the two outliers that they were close enough to the cave they had taken residence in, so they escaped getting more than a few acid burns. They had food and water to last them a day or two.

The alliance was likewise lucky they had the foresight to hide their supplies in the Cornucopia. According to an anonymous source close to the Gamemaker's, the rain wouldn't last an hour. It was only to spice things up and would be used sparingly. Now if only he could keep himself from fidgeting so much.

"If you want to get a breath of air, I'll watch Margaret," Finnick mumbled to him. He turned and gave his fellow District 4 mentor a smile, standing up. Enobaria grinned at him as he left, her fangs exposed. During his games, he had joined the alliance, and since his victory, he has mentored alongside the other alliance Victor's, but this year he just wanted to get away from it all. It was normal for the Victors from One, Two and Four to gather together in one room, but tensions were riding high. Almost every Victor had someone close to them in the games. That usual distance between a tribute and mentor was gone.

As Odysseus closed the door behind him, he could only be thankful that no one related to him was in the arena this year. Annie Cresta couldn't mentor because of her madness, so he was chosen as the mentor for her sister. Margaret was a good kid, skilled, and if he played his card right, he might be able to pull her out.

"Warmed honeyed milk with crushed walnuts," Odysseus said to one of the avoxes standing against the wall. The red-headed girl nodded and went to get him his drink. The main room was deserted, other than the watching Peacekeepers and waiting avoxes. The games broadcast was still playing, but thankfully it had been muted.

The avox returned with his mug. He took it without acknowledging her. He would have commented on her speedy work, but that would only bring trouble down on her shoulders.

As she walked past, the avox brushed his side. He could feel her hand slip into his pocket. She had put something there. The whole building was bugged, and they were being watched every minute, so he couldn't see what it was right then.

Finishing the milk, Odysseus handed the empty mug off to another Avox before heading down the long corridor. His tribute was still alive, which meant that he wasn't allowed to leave, but no one cared if he went out for fresh air. The two Peacekeepers nodded at him as he passed. As a Victor from Four, he was seen as more trustworthy than those of the outlier districts. Had he been from any one of the other districts, he would have drawn more scrutiny, but he was a Career.

Of the three Career districts, only Two was truly loyal. One and Four were only a stone's throw away from revolt. One lived under Fortune's Luxury System, which gave way to any goodwill the people might have had for the Capitol. Being safe from the games meant little when the district's children weren't safe from the system.

Four, by contrast, didn't have its children stolen away by a power-hungry Victor. Their children were protected from the games by the volunteers they produced each year. The bounty of the sea kept them fed and healthy. Had Four not been crushed as harshly as it had been after the war, were the Peacekeepers stationed in his district not as harsh as they were, Four might have ended up on the loyalist side. The only reason Victors from One and Four were trusted more was because of the protection the Capitol gave their people. It would only take a word from Snow to shut down the training program in Four.

Far enough away from the building that no camera would be able to see him, Odysseus looked down below him at the Capitol. He took out the small note that had been left in his pocket and opened it. Mags' net handwriting graced the small piece of paper.

Memorizing the information, a smile crossed his face. If Thirteen was going to be backing their play, a light might just be at the end of this long tunnel. He couldn't help them right now because of the games, but once he was back in Four he'd start working. Most of the Victors back home were at least sympathetic. Finnick alone would go a long way in helping the cause. If they played their cards right...

Odysseus crumpled the paper into a ball and ate it. Evidence gone, he turned around back the way he came. He couldn't leave Finnick to watch his tribute for too long. It was unprofessional.

Author's Note:

Hello! I hope you have enjoyed the Fourteenth Chapter!

Quicker update then normally. I've decided on a once per week upload schedule, and I will be releasing the new chapter every Wednesday.