Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.

Note: Thank you to Heartwood98, sock-feet-and-stirring-sand, Platrium, and Skydork for Elliot, Macauley, Retro, and Vashti, respectively.

District Five
Desire

Oliver Merdoch, 21
Victor of the 45th Hunger Games

He wished they would lighten up a bit.

Oliver rolled his eyes as the other Victors called to him to join them on the stage. The escort hadn't even arrived yet. The reaping wouldn't start for another ten minutes, at least. Where was the harm in having some fun?

Besides, the younger ones loved it. The twelve-year-olds who were facing their first reaping. The older ones who usually wouldn't have to worry about being reaped, thanks to District Five's now-thriving Career system. They could use the distraction from what was about to happen.

And if offering rides on an oversized prairie dog was all it took to distract them, he was happy to oblige.

Harri certainly seemed to be enjoying himself. Despite their bulky size, the prairie dog mutts were actually quite fond of humans once they warmed up to them. Oliver had been the first to discover this, earning the colony's trust before bringing in the rest of his allies. He and his fellow Careers had swept through the underground arena on giant prairie dogs, and, in the end, Harri had saved his life, leaping in front of a poison dart that had been meant for him.

The Capitol had revived the mutt, and Oliver had happily taken him home, along with a female prairie dog to keep him company. The pair now lived on the outskirts of District Five behind Victors' Village, along with their growing number of offspring. But Harri was the only one friendly enough to let two or three of the children ride him at once.

Oliver grinned as he helped a small twelve-year-old girl off Harri's back. "More after the reaping," he promised, leading Harri behind the stage. A few of the younger ones complained that they hadn't gotten a turn, but at least their minds were on that now, rather than the reaping. Rather than the fact that they might be chosen for the Games in a few minutes.

Oliver gave Harri a few more strokes, then bounded up the stairs to the stage, the crowd cheering as he waved for a moment before taking a seat on the end next to Adalyn. Adalyn snorted. "Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Bring that dog here every reaping."

Oliver leaned back in his chair. "First of all, he's not a dog. He's a prairie dog mutt."

"He's a mutt."

"Yes, and he has a name. He's Harri." Oliver stole a glance at Harakuise, who was trying not to smile. Having a giant prairie dog mutt named after him probably wasn't very high on his mentor's list of achievements, but he said nothing. "And I bring him because it's fun."

"The Games aren't about fun."

Oliver smirked. "And that's why you don't teach at the academy anymore. The Games are all about fun."

"I don't teach at the academy anymore because the recruits couldn't meet my standards."

"I didn't meet your standards," Oliver pointed out. "Won anyway." He would never have been Adalyn's choice to volunteer. No one would have. After she'd taken a job teaching at the academy, students had begun to drop out like flies. She was harsh, brutal, needlessly cruel. When he'd told her so, the two had come to blows, and the fight had ended with him lying on the floor in his own blood, with Adalyn standing over him assuring him that he would never make it in the Games.

But he had. He had won. And he'd be damned if he was going to let Adalyn stop him from having fun now.

"Settle down, both of you," Camden snapped. "Oliver, I need you to focus. Adalyn, leave him alone."

Ha. Oliver grinned at Adalyn, who glared but kept her mouth shut. Beside Camden and Adalyn, Sabine chuckled a little. Harakuise, on Sabine's right, shook his head fondly. Tania, at the end of the row, simply rolled her eyes as their escort, Sylvester Marquette, finally arrived, grinning as the district cheered and clapped. Oliver clapped, too, as did the rest of the Victors – some more enthusiastically than others.

"My, my, my, isn't it a pleasure to be back!" Sylvester boomed, his voice filling the square before he even approached the microphone. "Always a joy to be here in such a wonderful district! Are you ready for today's reaping?"

The crowd cheered again, but even Oliver couldn't help noticing that they were a bit more subdued than normal. Most years – or, at least, most years since the Career system had taken hold – the reaping was fun. A few speeches, the formal reaping where the chosen tributes volunteered, and a little parade down to the Justice Building so they could say goodbye. This year…

This year, things were different. But how hard could it be? Harakuise, Sabine, and even Tania had mentored for years before the Career system. Surely they could manage for one more year without trained volunteers. Sure, it meant that there were eighteen-year-olds out there who would never get their shot at the Games, but it wasn't as if they couldn't find something else to do with their lives.

Like raise prairie dogs.

Oliver smiled as Sylvester continued his speech. That wasn't all he was doing. He helped out at the academy, giving lectures on mutts. He hosted children's parties at his house in Victors' Village. He gave tours of the prairie dog town that Harri and his family were quickly digging. He gave the children of District Five – largely an urban district – the chance to see some real, live animals. Never mind that Harri had been genetically engineered by the Gamemakers for a death match. The children didn't care.

Children never cared about things like that.

Oliver nearly jumped as Adalyn nudged him, nodding towards Sylvester, who was approaching the reaping bowl. Already? Oliver leaned forward a little in his chair, waiting. Usually, there wasn't this sense of anticipation. Usually, volunteers had been selected weeks in advance. Everyone knew who they were. For a few weeks, they became celebrities of sorts. And then…

And then they died. Or, at least, most of them did. But the truth was that most of them lived more in those few weeks than some people did in a lifetime. There was something about knowing they might die that made them really appreciate life. That had made him really appreciate his life – enough to realize just how much he wanted to come back to live it.

"Macauley Tierney!"

Oliver perked up at the name. There had been a pair of Tierneys in his class at the academy. They were too old, but maybe a sibling? A cousin? Keeping track of who was related to who was such a pain in the neck.

The girl who stepped out of the seventeen-year-old section did look familiar. One of the hopeful young recruits from the academy. Maybe not the best, maybe not the top of her class, maybe not the one Camden would have picked … but certainly happy to be chosen. She was tall and thin, wearing a light blue and white flower sundress, her dirty-blonde hair in braids on top but hanging loose at the bottom.

But it was her smile that caught Oliver's eye – a proud grin that filled her face as she made her way to the stage through the applauding crowd. Whether they were cheering because they knew her or because they were simply happy that Sylvester had picked someone who actually wanted to be chosen, Oliver wasn't sure. Maybe it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Macauley was thoroughly enjoying it. Her blue eyes were bright with delight – and maybe even relief. She wanted this, and that was the best thing they could have asked for.

Oliver glanced over at Camden, who was smiling. Relieved. If the rest of the reaping went like this…

"Elliot Stone!"

Just as quickly, Camden's face turned pale, and a look he had rarely seen from her crossed her face. It wasn't fear, exactly. In fact, it was almost … dread. Oliver looked back at the crowd, confused.

There certainly didn't seem to be anything particularly threatening about the boy who stepped out of the eighteen-year-old section – a boy in a short-sleeved denim button-down shirt and black jeans with rips across the knees. He had pale skin, dyed blonde hair, and dark brown eyes. He was tall, but not as tall as Macauley. Muscular and athletic-looking, but that was a good thing … wasn't it? What was Camden so worried about?

Whatever it was, the boy didn't seem to notice. He was silent as the crowd clapped, silent as he took the stage, glancing this way and that. For a moment, the boy looked straight at him. Oliver grinned, giving him a big thumbs-up. A smile broke out on the boy's face, and he finally summoned the courage to wave to the crowd, then turned to Macauley and offered his hand. Macauley shook it firmly, then turned back to Sylvester, waiting.

Oh, yeah. Four tributes this year. It had almost slipped his mind. So far, this could almost have been an ordinary reaping. They were both older, both confident, both at least pretending to be ready for this, at least pretending to enjoy themselves.

"Retro Liu!"

It wasn't a name he knew. Oliver scanned the crowd, and, finally, the twelve-year-old section parted around a boy in a red button-down shirt and black pants. He was about average height for his age, with olive skin and short black hair. For a moment, he stood completely still, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes. But he couldn't. The tears began flowing, but the boy remained firmly planted in place.

The crowd was silent. What were they supposed to do now? Surely they weren't supposed to cheer for a crying twelve-year-old. Even the Peacekeepers on the edge of the crowd were hesitant. It had been years since they'd been forced to intervene at a reaping. Oliver glanced over at Harakuise, who nodded – but not to the Peacekeepers. Quickly, Jai stepped out of the crowd and made his way to the boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and whispering something as he pointed to the stage.

Suddenly, another man burst out of the crowd, shoving Jai away from the boy. Jai stepped back, startled, as the man began to gesture frantically. Oliver couldn't tell what they were saying, but he saw Jai wave the Peacekeepers away as he stepped away from the boy, who was already heading for the stage, wiping the tears from his dark brown eyes.

More quickly replaced them, and he was still crying as he took his place beside Macauley and Elliot. Elliot offered his hand for the boy to shake, and the younger boy finally took the hint and did so, then obediently offered his hand to Macauley. Macauley hesitated, but then shook it as Sylvester reached into the bowl one more time.

"Vashti Rii!"

There was no clapping this time, either. The sixteen-year-old parted around a tall, thin boy in a light grey shirt and dark grey pants. He had a light tan, dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes that widened for a moment before a scowl crossed his face. He walked slowly towards the stage, up the stairs, and across to where his district partners stood. Only once he was standing beside them did he let out a dry laugh. "Well, isn't this fun? A dead man walking."

Macauley scoffed. "Well, aren't you a bundle of joy."

Vashti held out his hand to Retro. "At least this one's got the sense not to be happy that he's going to his death."

Retro shook Vashti's hand, but he couldn't hide the tears in his eyes. Elliot stepped forward beside him. "Take it easy; he's just a kid."

"You think being 'just a kid' is going to save him in the Games?"

Macauley glared. "You think being an ass is going to save you?"

"Not one bit. You might as well just kill me now."

Macauley strode forward. "Don't tempt me."

"Easy, easy," Sylvester insisted. "Save it for the Games, all of you. District Five, your tributes – already eager for a fight! What do you think of that?"

The crowd cheered, and slowly began to disperse. As the cameras clicked off, Jai hurried up the stairs and whispered something to Harakuise, who chuckled a little and nodded, then waved Jai over to Oliver. "I'll take them, if you need to discuss…" Jai offered.

Oliver nodded. "Harri's behind the stage. Don't worry; he likes you."

Jai smiled as he led the tributes off the stage. It was tradition to let them ride the giant prairie dog to the Justice Building, but, as Oliver watched them go, he could see that not all of them had taken Jai up on the offer. Jai led the prairie dog, with Macauley and Elliot perched on Harri's back. Vashti walked behind, glaring at the crowd, and Retro trailed even farther behind them.

"Oliver." Camden's voice pulled his attention back to the stage. Tania and Adalyn had already left, leaving him, Camden, Harakuise, and Sabine – apparently the other one Harakuise and Camden had managed to talk into mentoring this year.

"As I was saying," Camden continued pointedly. "Macauley's the most experienced. Been at the academy for years. Probably not someone I would have picked – this year or next – but she'll have to do."

Oliver nodded. "There were two Tierneys in my year at the academy."

"Her brother and sister – Jaxon and Calen. They were both decent prospects, but Jaxon was never really serious about wanting to volunteer, and Calen never quite made the cut. I don't think the parents ever quite forgave me for that, but I have an obligation to pick the best—"

"No one is blaming you, Camden," Harakuise assured her.

"Maybe not for that," Camden agreed. "But Elliot…" She shook her head. "He joined the academy shortly after you won, Oliver. He was … inspired, I guess. A lot of the younger trainees were. Might've had a bit of a crush. I don't know. Anyway, he dropped out after a year or so, decided it wasn't for him. And that's fair; it's not for everyone. But one of the friends he made, Garnet … he stayed on, and…"

Garnet. The name sounded familiar, but didn't sound like one of last year's tributes, or the year before, or the year before…

"There was an accident at the academy," Harakuise finished. "It happens. It wasn't your fault."

"Tell that to Elliot. He lost his best friend. Maybe even more than that; I don't know. They were pretty close."

"You'll beat yourself up more if he loses his life because you couldn't focus," Harakuise pointed out. "Someone else can take Elliot."

"I'll take him," Oliver offered. "You can have Macauley, if you want, Camden."

Camden shook her head. "No. They'll probably want to work together. Sabine, you take Macauley. You've mentored before, and Oliver has experience working with Careers. Help each other – if the two of them want to work together, that is."

Oliver clapped Sabine on the back, then turned to Harakuise. "Fine with me. That leaves Mr. Grumpy Face and the little guy for you two."

"I'll take Vashti," Harakuise quickly offered.

Camden turned, surprised. It wasn't like Harakuise to immediately claim the older option in a pair of tributes. He'd won his Games at fourteen, after all, and last year's Victor had only been twelve. Maybe neither of the remaining tributes seemed particularly promising, but…

"You sure?" Camden asked.

Harakuise nodded. "Yes. It's best for everyone."

Camden cocked an eyebrow. "You know something."

"Always."

"What is it?"

"It's not important."

"If this is about you and Jai—"

Harakuise cut her off. "Like I said, it's not important. I just want to make sure it doesn't get in the way of things that are. Remember, Camden, we're not here to be liked. We're not here to be appreciated. Our job is to keep these kids alive as long as we can. You do that for Retro, and I'll do that for Vashti. Clear?"

Camden nodded. "Clear."

"Clear," Sabine echoed.

Oliver threw his hand up in a playful salute. "Clear, sir."

"Well, aren't you just a bunch of good little soldiers," came a voice from behind them. Oliver turned to see Jai, with Harri trailing behind. "You've trained them well."

Harakuise smirked. "A little too well, maybe. How are our tributes taking it?"

Jai shrugged. "About as well as you'd expect. The girl's delighted, and the boys … well, they're handling it in their own ways."

"I guess we're ready, then," Camden agreed, giving Jai a hug. "See you in a few weeks."

Jai smiled. "See you, kiddo." He turned to Oliver. "I'll look after Harri for you."

Oliver nodded. "He looks after himself pretty well."

"Goes with the name, I suppose," Jai reasoned, giving Harakuise a friendly punch on the shoulder. "See you soon."

"Sooner than last year, I hope," Harakuise agreed. Last year's Games had lasted twenty-six days, the longest on record. And after all was said and done, a little girl from District Twelve, of all places, had come out on top.

But that was the way the Games went. Unexpected things happened. The Games didn't always reward the strongest, or the smartest, or the best prepared, as his fellow trainers wanted their young Careers to believe. Sometimes people got lucky. And sometimes luck favored someone altogether unexpected.

He just hoped that it would favor District Five this year.

Macauley Tierney, 17

She wished this moment could last even longer.

Mac grinned as her parents entered the room, along with Calen and Jaxon. Her mother was smiling. Finally smiling. Calen was clearly jealous. Year after year, she and Jaxon had been passed over when Camden had selected volunteers. Year after year, Mac had waited patiently for her turn while her older siblings had aged out of the academy. She knew she hadn't been Camden's choice to volunteer this year. Maybe she wouldn't have been her choice next year, either.

But none of that mattered. She was here. She was going into the Games – something neither of her siblings could say. Something that they would never be able to match. For once, the look on her mother's face was … well, if not proud, then at least satisfied. Pride would come later – once Mac came home. Once she won.

"Well, I guess you've got a better chance than a normal year," Calen reasoned, trying to hide the envy in her voice. "You're probably one of the best-trained tributes this year."

"The best," Mac assured her confidently. She'd watched the reapings in One, Two, and Four. Most of the others who looked like they had any training at all were young – a twelve-year-old from Two, a thirteen-year-old from One. She could do better than them. She could do better than any of them.

She could do this.

There wasn't much for her family to say after that. Nothing they could do except agree. Yes, she had a good chance. Yes, she would probably be coming home. Yes, she could easily be District Five's fourth Victor in the span of a dozen years. Wouldn't that be something?

Before long, all of them were gone – all except Jaxon, who lingered for a moment after the Peacekeepers came to fetch the others. He waited until the door closed behind their parents, then shook his head. "Listen. You be careful in there, all right."

"Of course."

"Just because there aren't many other tributes with training doesn't mean you're guaranteed to win. I mean, look at who won last year. Look at who won the year before that. Careers don't win it every time. The most prepared tributes, the strongest tributes, the oldest tributes – that's not a guaranteed win. There are no guarantees."

What was he saying? "You don't think I can do this?"

"Of course I do. I'm just saying that you can't afford to make assumptions. You can't afford to get too cocky. I don't want to spoil your fun, but—"

"Then don't." Mac wrapped her arms around her brother. "Of course I'll be careful. You just watch. I'll be home before you know it."

"As long as you're home alive, I don't care how long it takes." He shook his head. "Of course, the sooner, the better. I don't expect you to beat Adalyn's record for shortest Games, but … well, try to make it quick."

Mac grinned. "Deal. I'll win as quick as I can, and you … you just try not to worry." She grinned as Jaxon nodded a little. The door opened, and then he was gone. Mac sat back in her chair, grinning.

She just hoped she could live up to her end of the deal.

Elliot Stone, 18

He wished Garnet could see him now.

Elliot did his best to smile as his parents and younger sister left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. They hadn't said much, but that was all right. What were they supposed to say? Be safe? Come back soon? He would certainly try his best, whether they said those things or not. His parents had. Louise hadn't. Ever since he'd dropped out of training, his little sister had considered him a disappointment, but that had never really bothered him before. Why should he let it get to him now?

Elliot shook his head, pacing across the room once more. Garnet would have known what to say. He'd always known the right thing to say, the right thing to do to bring Elliot out of his shell. When he'd died, it was as if he'd taken a piece of Elliot with him. A piece that it had taken Elliot a long time to get back.

Elliot whirled around as the door swung open again, this time for his friend Tulisa. She was trying to smile. Trying to look confident. Elliot smiled back. "It's kind of funny, isn't it."

Tulisa shook her head. "What?"

"All those names, all those Careers from the academy they could have picked, and they pick the one who dropped out of training to help make weapons, instead. I just can't get away from this."

"You sound almost…"

"What?"

"Happy."

"Do I?"

"A bit," Tulisa admitted. "Did you want to be picked?"

Elliot hesitated, but then shook his head. "No. No, if I'd wanted this, I would've stayed at the academy. It's not what I would have wanted, not what I would have chosen, but … well, now that I'm here, I might as well try to make the best of it."

Tulisa nodded. "I guess that's the only thing to do now."

It was. It wasn't as if he would wake up tomorrow in District Five if he just wished hard enough. Wasn't as if he could make the Games vanish with a thought. He was here. He was a tribute. That wasn't something he could fight, wasn't something he could hide from or run from or ignore. He had to do this. There wasn't a choice.

"I was watching the Victors after the four of you left," Tulisa admitted. "I couldn't hear all of what they said, but I think Oliver's your mentor. You're lucky."

Lucky. In spite of himself, Elliot could feel himself blushing. Oliver was the reason he'd joined the academy in the first place. He'd made winning the Games look so easy, so … so fun. Now, of course, he was old enough to realize it wasn't all fun and games. But still…

Elliot nodded. "Thanks. That's … that's good to know."

"I know he'll do his best. To help you survive, I mean. But Elliot…"

"Yeah."

"Everybody makes mistakes. Even mentors. They … they can be wrong. Give advice that worked for them, but for you … just trust yourself. He's not going to be in the arena with you. You can't rely on him to—"

"To keep me alive," Elliot finished. "I know." And he did. Even the trainees at the academy couldn't always rely on their trainers to protect them, to keep them safe from making stupid mistakes. Garnet … There hadn't been anyone to protect him. And it would be even more dangerous in the Games.

He just hoped he was ready.

Vashti Rii, 16

Part of him wished they would just kill him and get it over with.

Vashti glared as the door opened again. His father had already come and gone, along with his two younger brothers. He hadn't been expecting anyone else. Certainly no one at school, especially since he'd dropped out. There was no one else. No one who would miss him. No one who would care if he died.

When he died. It wasn't really a matter of if. Not in his condition. He wanted to live as badly as anyone else – maybe even more. But his body … there was no way his body would survive the Games. Most of the time, the Games were a death sentence. For someone like him…

"I didn't think I'd have any competition," Harakuise remarked, glancing around the room. "You don't seem like the sort with many friends."

Vashti scoffed. "What gave it away?"

"Must be your charming demeanor," Harakuise chuckled. "Either that or your pleasant looks." He took a step closer, nodding to Vashti's arm guards. "Impressive craftsmanship. Your own work?"

Vashti nodded. "They're not for decoration."

"Oh, I know. You didn't think it was a coincidence, did you?"

"What?"

"All those supplies that found their way to junk piles near your house. Did you really think a Peacekeeper would just throw his weapon away – even if it was broken? I've been watching you for a while now."

Vashti couldn't help staring. He had assumed it was a coincidence. Ever since learning about his condition, he'd been so focused on trying to protect himself – trying to protect his weak, fragile body – that he hadn't really thought twice about where he'd found some of his supplies. But did it really matter? Vashti shook his head. "What do you expect? A thank you?"

"Expect? No. Given the circumstances, I probably wouldn't thank me, either. In any case, the supplies were the simple part. You're the one who made good use of them. How many times has your makeshift armor protected you from an injury – an injury that could be deadly to someone like you?"

Someone like you. The doctors in Five weren't as good as they were in the Capitol, but ever since Career training had started to bring in more wealth, things had been improving. Enough for the doctors to be able to identify what was wrong with him … and what had killed his mother. "You can say it," Vashti spat. "A hemophiliac. And does it really matter how often I've been able to protect myself? Nothing's going to protect me in the Games."

Harakuise settled into a chair next to him. "Perhaps."

Vashti scoffed. "Don't pretend you can protect me. I'm not a child."

"I wasn't saying I could. But if you find the right allies … you'd be surprised how far that can go. Do you think I won because of my physical capabilities?"

No. He hadn't. Before they'd started training Careers, no one in District Five had won through sheer brute strength. Still, Harakuise hadn't had a disadvantage quite like his. "That's different."

"Of course it is. Every year is different. I'm not saying it'll be easy. All I'm saying is … don't give up yet. You might surprise yourself."

Vashti shook his head. Maybe Harakuise's words would have swayed someone less aware of his own weaknesses. But he'd spend the last few years compensating for them. Protecting himself from them. It had been hard enough when there weren't dozens of other teens trying to kill him.

What hope did he really have?

Retro Liu, 12

Part of him wished they would just leave.

Retro sat perfectly still as his father continued to talk. He nodded along, but he was barely following what his father was saying. Everything seemed so wrong, so different now. Distant, almost – as if his father was talking to someone else. Maybe he was. Maybe nothing he said now mattered.

Certainly none of the plans his parents had made mattered now. The plans for Retro to take over the little video arcade the family had built next to the training center to give the younger kids – the ones who weren't interested in training for the Games – something to occupy their time while the older ones trained. The plans for him to finish at the top of his class, to marry some fine young woman, to live the same sort of life they'd lived … all those plans were gone now.

Retro breathed a silent sigh of relief once they finally left. In all his father's words, there hadn't been a word of apology for what he'd done at the reaping. Sure, they'd all been upset, but had he really needed to yell at Jai? Surely his father knew how friendly Jai was with the Victors. With Harakuise.

Retro clenched his fists. Of course he knew. That was the reason for the yelling. He hadn't wanted someone like Jai near his son. Sure, his father was trying to protect him, but he may have ruined Retro's chances of making a good impression on his mentor. Whoever his mentor was. With what his father had done, he'd probably get stuck with someone who'd never even mentored before. Adalyn, maybe. Maybe she'd even kill him before the Games…

Retro glanced up as the door creaked open. Who else would be coming? Ysa, maybe. Or maybe Peter. Retro braced himself, doing his best to put on a smile. However frustrated he might be with his parents, that was no reason to take it out on his friends.

But it wasn't one of his friends who entered. It was Camden. Harakuise and Jai's daughter. Retro froze. What was he supposed to say to her? Should he apologize for the way his father had acted? But she didn't look upset. In fact, she was smiling a little. "Hey, kid. I'm your mentor."

Retro's eyes widened a little. She'd picked him? Camden had founded the Career system in District Five. She'd only been mentoring for a little more than a decade, but she'd trained two Victors, and personally mentored one. And she'd picked him as her tribute? "Why me?" Retro asked, his voice squeaking a little more than he would've liked.

Camden took a seat next to him. "I had my reasons."

Retro looked away. "I … I'm sorry … about what my father said at the reaping."

Camden shook her head. "Your father doesn't matter now."

Retro nodded a little. That was what he wanted to believe. That his parents – their hopes, their plans, their expectations – wouldn't matter once he was in the arena. But would it really be that easy to forget…?

"I know," Camden agreed, as if she'd read his mind. "My parents have always been important to me, too. Harakuise helped me train, he mentored me, but … he still wasn't with me in the arena. That was me. Only me. Just like it's only going to be you in the arena. Not your father. You."

That was what he'd wanted. Wasn't it? What he'd always wanted. To get away. But as freeing as it sounded, it also sounded almost … lonely. There would be no one in the arena to help him, no one to keep him company or tell him where to go or what to do or—

"But you'll help me, won't you?" Retro asked softly. "I know you won't be in the arena with me, but before … you'll be there to help."

Camden smiled warmly. "Of course. That's what we're here for – all of us. It's our job to help keep you alive. Me, Oliver, Sabine … Harakuise. That's what we do. It's not about us. It's about bringing someone home alive." She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"And I'll do my best to make sure it's you."

"Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire?"