3 Weeks After Victory, the Capitol

Belinda closed her eyes tightly as she leaned against the balcony of the tribute center. Only a bar and force field between her and a sharp tumble to the ground. Her white, lace dressing gown tugged and twisted against the strong wind, causing the dark-haired girl to rock back and forth.

She shut her eyes tighter, blocking out the sounds of the racing traffic or the grumble of the coming storm. Instead, she focused on what she could feel.

Her curly hair, now grown back and longer than ever, curled around her more defined face. Her once scared and bloody hands now smooth and fresh. She should have felt rejuvenated and alive, but instead she felt her stomach turn.

None of it felt real. Modifications aside, this didn't feel like home. Yet neither did Ten. She had spent most of her life within in the Capitol, so deep down, she always saw that as home. But now, it just felt wrong. Things were missing.

When she opened her eyes, she wanted to see Berik and Nero wrestling on the floor, Evelyn and Annabella watching Nero from afar. Vulcan filming his new installment for his family while Damon followed him around like a lost pup. Sunbeam and Clarissa sneaking away to one of their rooms. Grover flirting with everything that moved while Shelly boasted about some new trick she had played on a helpless soul. Tore working with Marzio to create a contraption that would please Coutille. Although, she would just smile politely and reject his advances. Romilda and Veyron once again standing up for Loretta and after one of Pallas' episodes. Maurice and Venus trying to rope Balina into their latest prank. Nathalie demanding Janae make her smoothie while the later rolled her eyes and groaned. Ares clapping like a child to his favorite cartoon, a mouthful of sour sweets.

That's what she wanted to see when she opened her eyes. But instead, she was greeted with a bustling Capitol street and colorful skyline. A location rather than a home.

"Belinda?" a soft voice called from behind the girl. Belinda glanced over her shoulder, just long enough to see her mentor Amire Mellon standing by the sliding doors. She had a silk dressing gown loosely pulled over her body, Lujza, her lover from Five had clearly been over again.

"What is it-"

"The President is here to see you," she said with a whimper, finally securing the dressing gown around herself. Belinda felt her heart jump by the woman's words. She had yet to have a formal meeting with the new President of Panem, President Snow. She expected one soon enough but in the early hours of the morning? The idea seemed far from pleasant.

Belinda swallowed. "Is he here now-"

"Ah, Miss Herd!" The gruff words were spoken as she turned to face her mentor. Instead, coming face to face with the pale man. His voice was gruff, like a thousand shards of glass had become caught within his throat and his yellow eyes were like that of a deadly snake.

Belinda moved her gaze to Amire who made a quick escape into the hallway and back to her room, leaving her alone with the President and fourteen guards.

The girl's mind spun with the horrible things a middle-aged man could do to her, alone in her room in nothing but a dressing gown on. Yet, the man simply pulled out the chair from her desk and gestured for her to sit down. Belinda reluctantly obliged, shaking as she did so. Once seated, Snow smiled.

"Sorry for the intrusion, I am not one for invites, I find meetings without preparation tend to me far more truthful, wouldn't you agree?" Belinda did nothing but nod, casting her eyes away from the President, his gaze unnerving in the low light.

"Did I do something wrong?" Belinda asked timidly. She wasn't about to pick a fight with the ruler of Panem. It was easier to comply and get the meeting over with as quickly as possible.

"Oh no dear," Snow chuckled. "I am simply here to discuss the terms of your victory."

There was that uneasy tension within her stomach again. Threatening to bring up what little she had for dinner. "Terms?"

"Of course," Snow replied bluntly. "We show you mercy, you give us something back, it is the way it has been for thirty-five years." He waited a few seconds to see if Belinda had any follow up questions. When the girl fell silent, he turned and took a small piece of paper from a nearby Peacekeeper and handed it to Belinda.

The girl took it in hand, her blood running cold when she read the document.

"From now on, you will be a Capitol Citizen-"

"What about Ten?" Belinda yelped. "My family have been waiting for ten years-"

"Child!" Snow barked, watching Belinda shrink back into herself. "They are not your family. They are the very people who sent you here and lived off the payment. You were part of District Ten for six years, the Capitol for ten. You speak with a Capital accent, you have a fondness for our food and culture. You would never survive being sent back...there." Belinda gave a sorrowful nod as she handed the document back to a Peacekeeper. Snow's face softened. "You may exchange letters with you family but you may not send gifts. Treat your Victory celebration in Ten as your final goodbye. After that, the only interaction you will have with District Ten will be mentoring their Tributes."

Belinda felt empty and cold. She had never looked up to her parents in a good light, Snow was right, they offered her up only to line their pockets. Even their letters were blunt and to the point. However, after the death of her Warriors, part of her had hoped she could rekindle a relationship with them. It was an unlikely event but it was blow to know she would not even get the chance. Snow was also right about her being more Capitolite than District born. Her memories of Ten were spotty and unappealing. If she went back, even her voice would remind people of the place their children went to die. She had little doubt she would be seen as an outsider. One of them by birth but not by hardship.

Earning some form of anger and bravery over this realization, she cast her eyes up to Snow and narrowed them. "What's the catch?"

A large grin spread across Snow's face. "I can tell I am going to like you." Belinda didn't answer, her eyes looking into Snow's without a sign of backing down. The President sighed. "During your stay here, you will train an Army of Peacekeepers. An Anti-rebel division. Of course, you were not the strongest Warrior. But out of Panem, you are one of the strongest sixteen-year-olds. With a few more years to complete your training, you could become our greatest asset. Of course, until that day comes, you will be joined by a second in command to help you. You will not be training the recruits but more tactics and how to snuff out...problems before they become unmanageable."

Belinda pierced her lips, her gaze moving down to her lap. "How do we snuff out problems?" she asked, her voice shaky. Knowing where the issue was going but she needed to hear Snow himself say it.

Snow signed yet still managed to grin. "Eight is proving to be a problem. Rebellions are not far away. We need anyone involved inside this group to be eliminated."

Belinda's breath hitched. Coutille had always been rumoured to be part of the rebellion but she herself had never believed it. Her final moments had brought the whispers back to light and now she felt they were confirmed.

"Who are the targets-"

"That is not for you to worry about. You just need to lead your team." Belinda fell silent, knowing that fighting was futile. The future of the victor had been decided since the moment the Warriors were chosen. No matter who the victor was, they would have been met with this outcome. An outcome even the new President could not overrule.

"Well," Snow spoke, breaking the silence. "Now you know the terms, I will leave you to your rest." Like one unit, the Peacekeepers moved towards the door, surrounding Snow. Just before he exited the room, he turned back to Belinda with a smile. "I look forward to meeting you again for the Capitol Party. Good luck on the Victory Tour, Miss. Herd."

And within a few seconds, Belinda was once again alone, only this time she held a documentation of her new citizenship and a sense of dread of what was to come.

There are about two more chapters within this story. The victory Tour then ten years on. This was to explain Belinda's role after the Games. I thought it was different from the normal wake up and Victor interview.

What type of Victor do you think Belinda is going to be? Do you think Coutille's family is involved within Snow's plan? What do you think of Belinda now being a Capitolite?

I can't promise when the next chapter will be out. It will be very long. It will have eulogies for all Warriors, glimpses of their family, Belinda in each District and the Capitol Victory party. It is the last time some character may be mentioned in this story so I really want to make it as good as I possibly can.

On a side note, I have a new SYOT called Another Brick in the Wall: 42nd Hunger Games. It is just a simple SYOT but I am trying to build and expand my universe more with it. Belinda, Atlas, and Lux will be mentors. However, be warned. There is a very small spoiler for the next two chapters within the first chapter. It will only bother you if you care at all for the side characters within this story. I'd love to see you submit!