Chapter 5

They held their breath as the different scores went through. Then Castro's picture came up flashing a 9. Castro was surprised to say the least, "I guess at least some of them were paying attention after all."

"I guess so," Effie said smiling.

"Very impressive," Katniss said and patted his back but then her number showed up with its eleven.

"Wow! That's amazing," Castro said.

"I told you they'd like your guts." Haymitch said to her.

"I can't believe it," She said.

"I can," Castro said. "You were amazing."

"Well thanks," She said blushing.

"Tomorrow we train for the interviews." Castro sighed knowing that would be the hard part for both of them.

"Yeah we do," Haymitch said. "Do you want to do it together or separate?" He asked them.

"Separate seems better," Katniss said.

Castro nodded, "Yeah, more one on one."

"Okay, then you'll have time with both Effie and myself," Haymitch said.

"You'll cover content with me and presentation with Effie. Do either of you have any preference on which to start with?" He asked.

"I can start with Effie," Castro said.

"That works," Katniss nodded.

"Good," Haymitch said.

"You two should get some sleep though." Effie advised.

"Right," Castro yawned.

"Goodnight, everyone," Katniss said and they both returned to their rooms.

That night they both slept surprisingly well. They even slept through the night until they were woken up to be couched. "Alright you both know the drill," Haymitch said.

"Can we at least eat first?" Katniss asked.

"Yes you may," He said.

"Thank you," She said getting up and heading to the dining room.

"Not too, much," He said.

"Do you have any kind of plan for us?" Katniss asked.

"Yes, I have plans for each of you," Haymitch said.

They ate and were separated to their groups. Castro went into his the room with Effie. "So, we need to practice etiquette and posture," Effie said carefully.

"Good luck with that." Castro said.

"Oh come on, it'll be fine," Effie said.

"So, what's first?" He asked.

"Posture, sit up straight," Effie said. So Castro did. "Good, now on to presenting yourself..." She said and this went on for three hours.

"Alright, time to switch." Effie said.

"Okay," Castro said stretching.

He got up and headed over to where he's supposed to work with Haymitch. "Sit," Haymitch said.

Castro took a seat, "Before we get started it's probably important to know that I personally despise Caesar with every fiber of my being."

"Really? Why?" Haymitch asked.

"He killed my best friend. Indirectly but it's all his fault."

"How?" Haymitch asked.

"You remember last year's boy?" Castro asked since he was obviously his mentor.

"Yeah, Slade the mute?" Haymitch asked darkly remembering that interview.

"That's him." Castro nodded.

"What about him?" Haymitch asked.

"He was my best friend and Caesar ruined him interview completely destroying any chance he had at getting sponsors! He would have won if he could just get a little bit of medicine. It was so early and minor that it would have been very cheap."

Haymitch nodded sadly. "I liked that boy, he had a good head on his shoulders," Haymitch said.

"Yes he did. So, that's why I hate Caesar and whether you feel it's a good idea or not there is no way he is going to continue on not knowing that." Castro said dangerously.

"I think...it's a brilliant idea! He has his fair share of people who hate him as well and most of them have deep pockets," Haymitch said.

"Then I guess we found my angle." Castro smirked.

"Intimidating, we can work with that," Haymitch said.

"Good, finally something I'll be good at." Castro said.

"Really?" Haymitch asked skeptically.

"Well… hopefully." Castro said.

"Then we need practice hopefully is not enough," Haymitch said.

"Right," Castro said.

"Good," Haymitch said he was going to enjoy this boy's interview. Hopefully it'll make up for the girl's, at least.

Hours later Katniss and Castro were both dressed for the interviews. Once Castro got there and saw Katniss he went over and hugged her. She hugged him back, though they were both nervous it was nice having each other there. "What's your angle?" Castro whispered to her.

"I'm not sure really," She whispered back. "We pretty much trued everything then he gave up saying I have the charm of a dead slug." She sighed.

"Hey, that's not true," Castro said.

"It doesn't matter. Nothing had even come close to working."

"Just be yourself then," He said soothingly.

"That's what Cinna said," Katniss said.

"Well he was right. He's a smart man Cinna," Castro said smiling.

Katniss nodded, "Very, he's my favorite I've met here."

"Portia's great too," Castro said.

"What's your strategy?" Katniss asked but Castro just smirked.

"You'll see." He said simply.

"You seem confident," She said taking his hand.

"Whether it works or not I'm going to have a lot of fun doing it."

"Well, that's...good?" She asked.

It was finally time and Caesar took the stage causing Castro to give a growl so glad that he's allowed to openly hate him. "Are you okay?" Katniss asked.

"I hate that man with every fiber of my being." Castro growled.

"Well, I can understand why," Katniss said.

"Luckily, that ties perfectly into my angle." Castro sighed.

"Okay..." She said cautiously.

The other interviews went by just as they did in the book. Then it was time for Castro's interview. "You have no idea what you're up for, Caesar." Castro said and donned the stage with a loathing scowl.

"Well hello, Castro," Caesar said.

"Caesar," Castro hissed taking a seat refusing to look him in the eye.

"What's the matter boy you seem angry," Caesar said.

"What's the matter?" Castro snapped turning towards Caesar with a cold hard glare. "You REALLY want to know what's the matter?"

"Well yes, how else can we help you get over it?" He asked cautiously.

"There's nothing YOU can do to help. Unless you can somehow bring my best friend back from the dead!"

"Well, I am sorry to hear you lost a friend," Caesar said.

"No you're not, it's your fault he's dead!"

"My fault what did I do?"

"Does the name Slade Mateo ring any bells?"

"He was the boy from last year he refused to talk," Caesar said.

"He didn't 'refuse' to talk! He physically COULDN'T talk but YOU cut his interview for it completely destroying any chance he had at getting sponsors which would have easily saved his life!"

"How was I to know that?" Caesar asked now receiving boo's for the first time he could remember.

"He TRIED to tell you! But you couldn't use your brain for half a second! You wouldn't even let him try to write it down!"

"Well...I...I" He stammered.

The crowd just booed even louder and Caesar was honestly at a loss of what to do.

"You know something, Caesar. I would kill you right now if I could," Castro said.

Castro turned to the audience, "What do you guys think? Should I?" There were cheers from the crowd. "It would be good practice for tomorrow." Castro said thinking about it.

"No, no please," Caesar said.

"Why shouldn't I?" Castro asked dangerously. "Give me one good reason."

"Y...you can't or the President will pull you from the games," he said

"Really? What a sweet deal! So I get to eliminate my arch nemesis AND not have to go into the arena? Let's ask the president shall we?" Castro asked turning to Snows balcony

"I see no problem in the idea." Snow said much to Caesar's horror.

"Well, well Caesar, as you like to ask us any final thoughts?" Castro asked. Caesar was at a complete loss having no idea what to say at this point. "Well then quick and painless or slow and painful?" Castro asked the crowd.

Being the Capitol, the crowd erupted with unanimous chants for the second option.

"Well, the people have spoken and you always were a man of the people," Castro said. "Now... how should I do this?" Castro pondered circling around him completely ignoring his time limit. "Here we are," Castro said picking up a microphone. He raised the microphone above his head and bashed it down against Caesar's. He fell to the ground but was not dead. "Dang, not hard enough," Castro said

"Harder! Harder!" The crowd chanted. Castro nodded and bashed him over the head again.

This went on a few more times until Caesar was finally dead. The crowd cheered as Castro was lead off stage. Peacekeepers took him back to other tributes who were all staring at him in disbelief.

"What?" Castor asked them shrugging. The next thing he knew Castro was surrounded by all six of the Careers. "Can I help you?" He asked still gripping the microphone

"We did some talking," Cato started, "and decided that despite your district, given your score and what we had just seen. We want you to join the Career Pack."

"Really?" Castro asked surprised.

"Really," Cato and most of the others nodded.

"Well...I would like that," Castro said after some thought.

"Excellent, just like most years we'll be taking the Cornucopia tomorrow so you'll just have to stay and fight which of course won't be a problem right?" Cato said as more of a warning then a question.

"Not a problem at all," Castro said.

"Of course not, we'll see you in the arena then."

"Yeah, see you there," Castro said. With that, the Careers left Castro who was now stuck trying to figure out how he's going to tell this to Katniss and Haymitch. There hasn't been a District 12 tribute in the Career Pack or equivalent since the 1st Annual Hunger Games.

He ran over to them and pulled them away from the other mentors and tributes. "Guys…" Castro said but stopped having no idea where to even start.

"That was great!" Haymitch said smiling.

"You're not the only one who thinks so." Castro said and decided to just go straight up and saying. "The Careers want me to join the pack."

"Is that so?" Haymitch asked.

"Yeah, when I got off the stage from the interview they surrounded me and said so."

"What did you say?" Katniss asked.

So Castro ran over the entire encounter.

"This is excellent!" Haymitch said.

"Are you sure it's not some kind of trap though?" Katniss asked skeptically.

"No, guarantee it's not," Haymitch said.

"So, you think I should go with it?"

"Undoubtedly, not only what we've already gone over but at this point, if you refuse then you just put a giant target on your back." Haymitch countered seriously. "Plus then you can be there to save Katniss if she ever needs it," He added.

Castro nodded, "That all makes perfect sense. I will then."

"Are you sure?" Katniss asked worried.

"Yes." Castro and Haymitch both said.

"Okay," She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Katniss, but what other choices do I have?" Castro reminded.

"None, I just want you to be careful," Katniss said.

"I will be." Castro promised. "It is life or death after all."

"Okay," She said nodding.

"We should head back to our floor though." Castro added.

"Right," They both agreed.

So they headed over to the elevator and hit the button for the twelfth floor. "You two need to go straight to bed," Haymitch said.

"Right," They both nodded.

"Could we sleep together again?" Castro asked Katniss since that really did help last night and sleep will be both monumentally important and nearly impossible to achieve.

"Well, it did help," Katniss said.

"Please, we're certainly going to need it tonight."

"Oh...alright," Katniss said.

"Just sleeping though," She asked despite him knowing that.

"I know," He said.

The elevator opened on their floor and they got off, "My room or yours?"

"Yours," He said.

"Alright, let's go." Katniss yawned heading to her room.

He followed her after grabbing pajamas from his own room. "Um… I'll just…" Castro said awkwardly and headed to the bathroom to change.

"Yeah..." Katniss said blushing

Katniss just got down to her under clothes as usual then got into the bed. "Ready when you are." She called after him.

He came out in Black pajama pants and no shirt blushing. He shoved that away and got into the bed saying, "Hopefully this helps."

"It will," She said.

"Could I have a goodnight kiss?" He asked.

"Really?" She asked glancing at him.

"Well, why not?" He asked.

"I don't know," She said.

"Then can I?" He asked again. She nodded. He leaned in and kissed her lips and she kissed him back gently. This time it was fairly breif though before trying to go to sleep. They managed to get a few hours' sleep.

They actually slept through until Effie woke them up. "Time to get up," She said gently.

"Right, it's that day." Castro sighed getting out of bed. She nodded sadly. It occurred to Castro that she doesn't know what happened with the Careers and she debated telling her or letting her find out from watching on the screen. He decided to tell her, she had been so much nicer since Katniss had gotten through to her. "The Careers had asked me to join their pack, Effie."

"What?" She asked surprised.

"Apparently after my score and interview they didn't really care about the district number." Castro said.

"Well that's good for you right?" She asked.

"Yes, it is." He nodded.

"He just needs to keep a cool head," Katniss said.

"Which, I will try." Castro said.

"You will do," Katniss said.

He nodded, "I will do." She nodded and they all ate in silence.

They tried to get as much in as they could before the peacekeepers came. "Time to go," Effie said sadly

"You were a great escort, Effie," Katniss told her getting up.

"You two are great people," She said.

With that they were gone and taken up to the roof where the hovercraft awaits. They were both getting more and more nervous. They got onto the hovercraft.

The other tributes were all there already. Cato looked over at Castro double checking that he's still in. Castro nodded. Cato just smirked as they took off.

As they flew trackers were injected into them and then the windows went dark.

Castro noticed this realizing they must be getting close. Katniss noticed as well and the hovercraft began to slow down. They both managed to look brave as it landed and they were led off.

"Good luck," He said as they separated.

"You too," She said back to him right before it was too late to hear.

Castro was lead to a room where he found Portia waiting. "Hey Portia," Castro said once he got it. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" She asked worried.

He explained to her all that happened with the Careers including on the hovercraft.

"Interesting plan," She said helping him get dressed.

"Do you think it will work?" He asked.

"Yes, if you leave them at the right time," She said.

"Of course," Castro nodded. "That last Career fight is the last thing I want to get caught in the middle of."

"Always bloody," She said.

"It's almost always worse than the initial bloodbath or even a feast."

"Yes, I know," She said.

He finished getting the outfit on and looked it over trying to get a guess at what the arena will be like from it. The outfit was all black and seemed to hold in body heat. 'Expect cold nights' He thought

He took the small iron chain and put it around his neck thinking of Maize as he did. "Hope you're watching me," He said. He was wondering which promise to actually keep. He was not sure when they were told to get in the tubes.

He stepped in the tube and it was enclosed. "Good luck," Portia said as the tube began to rise.

Castro just looked as brave as he could as he rose knowing once he get up there he'll pretty much have to be a Career through and through. He closed his eyes as the platform stopped. He opened them carefully and then blinked rapidly a few times until his vision was well adjusted.

In front of him was a field that he could not see because of the steep incline and behind him a forest. As tempting and familiar as the forest was, he knew he had to head straight to the Cornucopia so he started searching around the area for knives since it's difficult to stay and fight without a weapon. He saw a belt and chest harness with several different knives.

He smirked ready to go straight for them as soon as the gong went off. He saw Katniss with a pack near her. He tried to indicate it with his eyes to her.

Katniss noticed but just as in canon she had her eyes fixated on the single bow and arrows. Castro gritted his teeth he was not sure she could make it to the bow. Maybe he might be able to keep the others away from her and it so she could get it. After all, it would be crucial to her survival and he doubts he could stop her from going for it.

He sighed he would have to let her go for it and try to keep her from being killed in the meantime. He looked at the actual cornucopia to see the time he had left before the mines were deactivated.

10...9...8...7...6

He got into a running stance realizing it was coming so soon.

5...4...3...2...1!

The gong went off.

Katniss and Castro both ran off of the plates towards their respective weapons and Castro got them first being a whole lot close and looked around with quite a few knives at the ready for any threat towards Katniss or himself. He noticed Glimmer was going after the same bow.

He saw an opportunity as she was running he tackled the boy from 7 who fell into Glimmer knocking her off balance. Angry at that but still unarmed, Glimmer clawed through the boy's eyeballs with her nails her hands coming up covered in blood and aqueous humor but the distraction was enough for Katniss to get the bow and arrows.

Castro then stabbed the bow in the throat.

Glimmer wiped her hand off in the grass then noticed that the bow and arrows were gone. "Damn it," She swore under her breath. She looked around quickly for another weapon she could you. Maybe 'another' is the wrong word here given her incompetence with a bow and arrow. She found a mace. She picked it up and swung it at the girl from 9. It shattered the side of the girls head. "Perfect," Glimmer smirked looking around for another victim.

Meanwhile Katniss had grabbed a pack and was sprinting for the forest. Castro saw this and was relieved knowing that for now he can just worry about his own life.

He managed to duck a blow with a club from Thresh.

He got up ready to strike back only to find that he was nowhere to be seen. 'Fast for a big guy,' He thought.

Castro threw his knife straight at the girl from 6. The knife went straight for the girls eyeball to her brain and she hit the ground dead.

"Nice throw," Clove said running at the boy from 5

She slit the boy's throat with a sadistic smirk. "I guess Cato was right."

"Right about me?" Castro asked.

Clove nodded taking another knife from her jacket, "Don't make me regret it though."

"I won't," Castro said.

Clove just turned and threw a knife into the back of the boy from 9.

20 minutes later the bloodbath was over. Eleven cannons went off for each of the dead bodies around them. The Career Pack was the only living ones left around the Cornucopia and they were down one member. Castro counted the dead bodies making sure that each of the cannons did in fact come from here. He was relieved to find exactly eleven meaning that Katniss was still alive.

"Alright gather everything up," Cato said

So everyone gathered up all the food and supplies in different of the bodies knowing the Gamemakers will pick them up soon.