In my dreams, I'm lying on a beach, perhaps in District Four. Perhaps not. The strangest thing is that I've never been to the beach, only seen footage on television. Who cares. All I know it that it's nice and cool here. Not cold like the Capitol, but comfortable with a soft breeze and bright sunshine that warms my skin.
I stretch my limbs out and feel the powdery sand beneath me. There's no sound but the waves breaking and the occasional call of a seagull. I wonder if the water's warm like the water in the pool. I'll have to try it if I can ever find the willpower to get up.
The next thing I know, I'm being shaken. Through the peaceful fog of sleep, I hear my name, uttered in a familiar Capitol accent. Damn it, go away.
"Marvel, get up! You don't want to miss the chance to show off in training do you?" asks Prue.
I groan, knowing that she's actually right about that. Training's probably the only thing tributes go through before the arena that isn't complete bullshit.
Prue leaves me alone once I get up. I find my training outfit, a sleek black shirt with red trim on the shoulders, black cargo pants and black boots. Leave it to the Capitol to still make sure our training outfits are fashionable. I smooth my messy brown hair and head out.
Gloss and Cashmere are both enjoying breakfast, but Glimmer's tapping her foot impatiently by the door.
"I thought Glimmer would be the one holding y'all up for beauty sleep. How late were you up last night?" asks Gloss as he butters a piece of toast.
"Not that late. I guess I was just tired from the parade," I lie. They'd skin me alive if they knew I was up late conversing with the enemy.
"Well, be less tired then," huffs Glimmer, "You may not care, but I want to make a good impression, especially on District Two."
Yeah, I bet you do. I just noticed some slight…alterations in Glimmer's training outfit, particularly how my pants are a bit baggy while hers are skin-tight. I guess Cashmere's working her angle in everything she does.
I grab an apple before Glimmer drags me out, hurrying toward the elevator as our mentors continue to enjoy breakfast. She doesn't speak to me on the way down, tapping her foot and casting annoyed glances at me every few seconds. I guess I slept a bit longer than I thought.
We get in just as the head trainer calls all the tributes over. Evidently we were the last to arrive. We stand beside Cato and Clove, who simply nod at us.
"Glad you all could make it. My name's Atala and I'm the head trainer here," says the strong looking woman we're all clustered around, "First, I want to lay down some ground rules. No fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. If you want to practice, we have sparring partners."
I notice Cato frown at this statement and turn his cold gaze onto the small boy from Five, who pales immediately.
"You're free to go to whatever station you choose, but my advice is don't ignore the survival stations. Everyone always wants to grab a sword, but exposure can kill as easily as a knife. You're more likely to die from dehydration than you are in combat," cautions Atala. It makes sense, but I can hear my fellow careers chuckling beside me. As long as nothing happens to the supplies at the cornucopia, I suppose it isn't relevant to them.
I glance back and notice District Twelve slipping in. Huh, I guess we weren't last. Katniss looks completely stoic but her district partner, some blonde guy with the build of a wrestler, looks nervous. Both of them are making a conscious effort to avoid looking towards me and my so-called friends.
After she's done speaking, Atala set us free. Cato immediately grabs a sword and begins hacking dummies apart with clinical precision, receiving praise from Glimmer and terrified stares from many of the other tributes. Clove plants herself at the knife-throwing station and deters everyone else with her deadly accuracy. For someone over a foot shorter than me, she's actually pretty intimidating, like an evil little gnome or something.
As for me, there was only one place I would go. The station has so many spears I don't know which one to try first. I pick one up and feel it's weight in my hands before turning and sending it down range. I can't help but smile as it pierces a dummy's chest, right where its heart would be.
I throw a couple more, each one hitting bullseye. Damn I'm good. Up here, at this station, nobody can touch me. Not even Cato. I notice Cato watching the girl from Four use a trident while Glimmer tries to get his attention. I roll my eyes and pickup another spear, only to be joined by another tribute: the boy from Four.
I notice him weighing one of the lighter spears in his hands. He looks young, probably around fifteen.
"You sure you can handle that, kid?" I ask with a grin. I notice his eyes narrow at the word kid. Someone's sensitive.
Instead of answering me, he hurls the spear right into a dummy's gut. Not a heart-shot, but still a lethal hit. Not too bad.
I nod in appreciation. "Care to have a friendly competition?" I ask.
"Let's go, One," says the boy with a smile I've noticed on the other careers before.
We each throw ten spears. The kid's good, a lot better than I expected. He manages to hit a dummy each time, but ultimately can't match my bullseyes. A lot of the kids from the outer districts look like they're about to shit themselves.
"I'm impressed, Four. Spears your thing back at the academy?" I ask as I remove my spears from the brutalized dummies.
The boy scoffs. "I didn't go to an academy. I picked this up working as a harpooner," he says.
Interesting. This kid could probably feed himself in the arena if anything happened to our supplies.
"What about you? You go to an academy or did you pick that up making jewelry?" he asks with a grin.
"Academy. I've never made jewelry a day in my life. Name's Marvel," I say, extending my hand.
"Lewis," he says, shaking my hand.
"Well Lewis, I think we just might have a spot for you in the career alliance. Come on, let's go talk to Cato," I say, strolling over with Lewis trailing behind me.
"What was with the hold-up? I thought District Four always rolled with the careers," says Lewis.
Yeah…except Clove thought you might've been weak and what District Two wants, District Two gets.
"The others just wanted to observe you guys a bit before we brought you into the fold; make sure you had something to offer," I answer.
"I get you, but your district partner hasn't even picked up a weapon yet. What the hell does she have to offer?" Lewis asks incredulously.
"Take a wild guess," I say with a laugh, noticing Cato's large hand slithering over Glimmer's ass.
"Hey Cato, I've got someone for you to meet," I say, prompting him and Glimmer to turn towards us. Cato's neutral, but Glimmer looks annoyed I interrupted.
"This is Lewis from District Four. I think we should bring him onboard," I say.
Cato looks Lewis over from head to toe, probably not thrilled with Lewis' average physique.
"What can you offer?" asks Cato flatly.
Lewis looks a bit nervous, but meets Cato's gaze. "I'm good with spears and tridents…and fishing skills if you want them," says Lewis.
"I can vouch for his skill with spears. They're not up to par with mine, but they're good," I say, grinning as Lewis shoots me a look.
Cato sighs. "Alright, you're in. Go get your partner and tell her we've got a spot for her if she wants it," he says.
Lewis hurries off, clearly eager to show Cato he can be a loyal soldier.
"You sure you want her too?" Glimmer asks, frowning as she glances over at the girl from Four.
"Yes and don't question my decisions," he says sharply, "They'll both be an asset, especially if Thresh doesn't join us."
"What about Thresh?" says Clove, walking over from the knife station.
"Just wondering if he'll come with us. If not, he's our first target," says Cato.
I see Thresh looming around the fire-making station, dwarfing everyone around him. Shit, let's hope he joins us.
Lunch reminds me of school in a lot of ways. Our merry band, now two members bigger, quickly annexes a table and scares everyone else off. I try not to think about how I'm basically a member of a clique and take a seat on the edge, next to Lewis and opposite Brooke, the girl from Four.
Lewis seems alright and I don't know a thing about Brooke, but the other careers are getting on my nerves. I just eat and try to ignore the incessant talking about their grand victories over inanimate objects. Glimmer takes every opportunity to flirt with Cato, batting her eyelashes and leaning into him.
Oh, it's gonna be real awkward when he tries to kill her.
My eyes drift over the various tributes scattered around the lunchroom. Most are eating alone but a few, like Katniss, are sitting with their district partners. I spot Thresh sitting by himself, his dark gaze burning holes into the back of Cato's skull.
"Alright, Glimmer, you go and ask Thresh if he wants to join us," says Cato.
"Why me? Why can't you send Marvel?" whines Glimmer.
I can't really fault her for not wanting to talk to Thresh, but that doesn't mean I like being thrown under the bus.
Cato gets that angry look again. "Because he's not gonna want to fuck Marvel, that's why! You have the best chance at convincing him, now get to it!" he snaps.
Glimmer slowly gets up and heads over to Thresh's table, hiding her nerves behind a smile. I think we're all a little scared of the giant from Eleven, even if none of us would ever admit it.
"I got a cookie that says she flips her hair," says Clove, watching as Glimmer approaches Thresh.
"I'll take that action, you little midget," responds Cato, "I say she sticks her hip out."
Surprisingly, Clove laughs. I would've thought anyone who called her a midget would get a knife in their crotch. They must be closer than I suspected.
"Anyone else want in on this? Last chance?" asks Cato, a rare genuine smile on his face.
"No thanks," I answer.
Lewis just shakes his head and continues eating.
"Ah what the hell. I'm in. I say she puts her hand on his arm," says Brooke.
Everyone watches Glimmer intently. She's smiling brightly and going through the spiel. Thresh, however, doesn't look like he's enjoying her company.
"C'mon, flip your hair," whispers Clove eagerly.
"Don't you do it. Stick your hip out," chuckles Cato.
"Touch his arm. You know you want to," joins Brooke.
Just for a moment, they seem like the teenagers they are. It's almost like I'm back at school, listening to some goofy bet among classmates instead of training for a fight to the death.
The conversation doesn't look like it's going well, then Glimmer flips her hair, drawing a quiet cheer from Clove and groans from the other two as they hand over their cookies. Moments later, Glimmer heads back, looking defeated.
"I hope you're happy!" she fumes at Cato.
"I'm guessing he said no," says the large boy, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah! He said no and he threatened to come after me first if I bothered him again!" she seethes, sitting down but not snuggling up to Cato like she did before.
Clove just laughs, savoring her spoils. "At least I came out ahead in this," she says.
"Okay, if Thresh is out, we're going after him first right?" asks Lewis, finding his voice again.
Cato nods as his face stretches into another one of those wicked smiles. The ones that betray no actual happiness; creeps me out just to look at it. "Definitely. That bastard just signed his own death warrant," he says
I hope we're up to the task. Despite everyone's confidence, Thresh doesn't look like he'll go down easy.
Training drags on after that. I throw a few more spears, mess around on the rope course and foolishly agree to try the sword station with Cato. It's a good thing we're not in the arena or he'd have killed me and it wouldn't have even been close. In close-combat, he's gonna be a problem.
Right now, me and Lewis are just bashing dummies' heads in with these spiked maces. Sure it looks cool and probably scares some of the other tributes, but it quickly loses its appeal.
I glance over and notice all the survival stations. I suppose I should give them a try. I don't plan on sticking with the careers forever, so I'll need to be able to take care of myself.
"Where are you going?" calls Lewis, as I walk off.
"Survival stations," I say, "Gotta be prepared for anything."
Lewis just rolls his eyes and goes back to smashing dummies. The other careers are busy with the combat stations and don't even notice me.
Let's see, knot tying station? Not particularly useful.
Camouflage? I don't plan on hiding.
Fire-making? What's the point of that? I'm sure whenever I split with the careers, I can manage to slip a book of matches into my pocket.
I'm about to go to the fishing station when I notice a certain dark haired tribute frantically rubbing two sticks together to start a blaze. Against my better judgement, I can feel myself heading over.
"You can't go a minute without setting something on fire can you?" I ask, my voice friendly again.
Katniss stiffens and turns to look at me, surprise all over her face.
"What are you doing over here, One? Don't you have some dummies to destroy," she says sharply.
One? Huh. It was Marvel just a few hours ago.
"We did. We're kind of running out," I respond, "So I thought I'd come try to learn some valuable survival skills."
Katniss just shakes her head as I kneel down and start trying to make my own fire. Damn, this is a lot harder than it looks. After about ten minutes of rubbing sticks together, I'm not making any progress.
I hear Katniss chuckle at my futility. I look over and notice her getting a small blaze going.
"Something funny, Twelve?" I ask, adding extra emphasis on the number.
The corner of Katniss' mouth twitches upwards ever so slightly.
"Actually, yeah. For all your training, you can't make a simple fire," she says, "What do they even teach you in those academies?"
"Weapons, weapons and more weapons. You can guess which one I was good with," I say. She must've seen me and Lewis throwing because she nods.
"So, what about you?" I ask.
Katniss raises an eyebrow. "What about me?" she asks.
"What are you gonna do for the games? Are you gonna try to just outlast all of us or are you gonna grab a weapon and mix it up?" I ask cheerfully. I'm just teasing, but Katniss looks nervous for some reason, like the answer would unravel something.
"I'll probably just hang back and take the opportunities I can get," she says evasively.
I think there's more to it, but I'm not sure what.
"You sure? You sure you don't wanna grab a mace and take us all on? It'd make for some interesting television," I say with a laugh.
Katniss laughs a bit, but pauses, as if something important just occurred to her.
"Why are you talking to me? Don't your friends forbid it?" she asks, spitting the word "friends" out like it's poison.
"I can talk to whoever I want. Cato may lead the pack, but he can't control who I will and won't speak to," I say, rubbing my sticks together harder in hope of igniting a blaze.
Katniss nods in understanding and adds a few more twigs to her growing fire.
"You're weird for a career," she says.
"How so?" I ask, still intently focused on my sticks, which are finally producing a little smoke.
"You don't act like them and you're not here for fame. Every District One tribute I've ever seen was a vain, cocky brat that stepped on people who'd been starved most of their life," says Katniss.
Wow. I guess the fire isn't just a costume.
"Not everyone in District One is like that, you know? I get it, most of our volunteers are rich brats who've never struggled for anything a day in their lives, but that's not everyone. It's certainly not me," I say.
"I'm sorry," says Katniss.
"It's fine. District One hasn't exactly extended a hand in friendship to anyone from the outer districts in the past. Still…people can surprise you," I say, finally getting a spark to catch. I quickly blow on it and feed it dry moss. Soon, I've got an actual fire going.
"Not bad, Marvel," says Katniss.
"Oh, so it's Marvel now instead of One?" I ask with a cheeky smile that Katniss returns.
"As long as you don't call me Twelve," she quips.
She glances off to her right and suddenly looks uneasy. Oh shit. Looks like someone's noticed us talking. If it's Glimmer…or worse if it's Cato, I'm in for it. Fortunately, it's just the blonde guy I recognize as Katniss' district partner. He doesn't look too happy staring at us though. It's a weird combination of anger and genuine concern.
"I'll see you around, Marvel," Katniss says before she strolls off to talk to her district partner near the camouflage station.
They seem to be talking about something serious, like there's some real trust there. What I can't quite figure out is why that bothers me.
A/N: How long can our hero keep befriending the opposition before it blows up in his face? His new friends aren't exactly the forgiving type. The Careers are actually the most fun to write because, in my opinion, they have the more dynamic personalities. As always, all reviews, follows and favorites are greatly appreciated.