Disclaimer: The Hunger Games is not mine.

Note: A quick note on the train rides: They're going to be split into four chapters, with three districts in each. Each district is written from one tribute's point of view. This does not mean that I like that particular tribute better or anything like that. It just means the chapter worked a bit better from that tribute's point of view. Also, the districts aren't going in order; they're clustered together based on which ones fit with the particular chapter's theme.

On a different note, I'm having another go at Camp NaNoWriMo this month, so expect updates to be pretty frequent.

Train Rides
The Real World

Jaime Gloire, 18
District One

"This is exactly what they deserve."

Jaime nodded along as Inviticus chimed in for the third time while they watched the reapings. He wasn't entirely wrong, of course. The Capitol needed some way to punish the districts for rebelling last year. Some way of keeping them in line. Adding extra tributes for the rebellious districts made sense. Maybe it was exactly what they deserved.

But Inviticus didn't seem to understand – or maybe simply didn't care about – what it would mean for them. Extra tributes – even outer-district tributes – meant lower odds. Twenty-two extra tributes, she counted, by the time District Twelve was shown. Nearly double the regular number. And four of the extras were Careers.

Six Careers from District Four. Two from One, two from Two. And if they were counting the two from Five, as well, that made twelve. Twelve Careers. That changed everything.

Jade, at least, seemed to be on the same page. "All right, then," he nodded as the tape switched off. "Twelve of you."

Inviticus shook his head. "Three."

Jade cocked an eyebrow, leaning back patiently in his chair. "Apparently, I need a lesson in counting. Which three?"

Inviticus nodded towards Jaime. "Her. Me. And the girl from Two. The boy's clearly not a Career. None of the mentors even knew who he was."

"But District Four—" Jasper started.

"District Four rebelled last year. The Capitol will be targeting them. So should we."

Jaime shook her head. "They're not all rebels."

"How do you know? How do you know they're not planning the same stupid stunt they tried to pull last year? Better not to take the chance."

"Okay, but District Five—"

"District Five is loyal, that's for sure. But they're not trained as well. We have an academy. Their academy is one Victor training potential recruits in her back yard. They're good, but they're not good enough. They'd slow us down."

"So you think it should just be the three of us?" Jamie asked with a scowl. "Three Careers? You call that a pack?"

"I call that efficient. Six-member or even five-member packs often have trouble agreeing. There's conflict – sometimes early conflict that could rip the pack apart. Three of us can be effective. Three of us can be decisive."

"Three of you can be overwhelmed," Jade countered. Inviticus opened his mouth to argue, but Jade held up a hand. "You're not wrong. Not entirely. There are advantages to a smaller pack. I had a three-member pack myself, if you even want to call it that. And you're right; we were more decisive. We were effective – obviously. I'm sitting here, after all," he finished with a smirk.

Jaime shook her head. "So you're agreeing with him?"

"Not entirely. I'm saying it's a possibility. At this point, that's all we have – possibilities. And we shouldn't discount any of them." He turned to Inviticus. "I think you're right about the girl from Two. Let's talk about District Four."

"I don't trust them."

"Fair enough. But tell me – What do you think will happen if you reject them all out of hand?" After a moment of silence, he glanced around. "Anyone?"

"They'll form their own pack," Jaime offered. "There are six of them – all trained, from the look of them. Six of them, three of us. We're outnumbered two to one."

Jasper nodded. "Exactly. And that's not even counting the two from Five."

"You can't afford to exclude all of District Four," Jade agreed. "There's strength in numbers, and they have it. Decide which ones you can trust and which ones you can't. That goes for District Five, as well. See what they have to offer; they might surprise you."

"I doubt it," Inviticus mumbled.

Jade chuckled. "Doubt it all you like. Do you know who the other two members of my pack were?"

Jaime and Inviticus glanced at each other, unsure. Jade turned to Jasper, who answered. "The girl from Four and the boy from Seven."

Jade nodded. "Exactly. Neither of them had volunteered – and neither of them, certainly, was what we would call a Career today – but they were both strong. Capable. They were good allies."

"And you killed them both," Jaime pointed out.

"I did," Jade agreed. "And that's the other thing. Alliances don't last forever. You don't have to trust them forever. Just long enough. And it might even be a good idea to have the ones you don't trust as allies. That way, when the time comes to go after them, you don't have to go looking for them."

Jaime nodded along as the other three kept talking. Until they got to the Capitol and actually met the other Careers, most of this speculation was pointless. Three-member packs. Six-member packs. Even if they formed a six-member pack, the remaining Careers could form one just as strong.

Jaime leaned back, listening. They had discussed strategy during training, of course. But the best option had always seemed rather straightforward – stick with the Career pack that usually formed, and leave when things started to crumble. But now…

Maybe it was better to avoid the choice altogether.

Eventually, Inviticus and Jasper wandered off to discuss a little more privately. Jaime leaned forward a little, closer to Jade. "There are going to be two packs, aren't there. No matter who Inviticus wants to let join his, there will still be some left over. Enough for another pack, or even two."

Jade nodded. "Probably, yes."

"And if there are two packs … They'll probably target each other, right? They'll see each other as the biggest threat."

Jade seemed to know where she was going. "You're wondering if it would be better to simply split off at the beginning. To avoid being part of a pack at all."

"Less of a target," Jaime pointed out.

"Less support," Jade countered. "Fewer allies generally means fewer sponsors."

"But—"

Jade held up a hand. "I didn't say you're wrong. Just that you should think it through. There is no easy answer. There is no right or wrong. There is no single strategy that works all the time. People have won without allies. People have won after having a large group of allies. It depends on the person, the other tributes, the arena, the crowd … So many things."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"That you keep your options open. Don't rule out working with a group. But, after training, after the interviews, when it comes time for the Games, if you still want to go it alone, that's your choice."

Jaime nodded. That wasn't much of an answer. But Jade was right. It was still too early to decide. But now, at least, she had a plan.

That was good enough for her.

Zachary Travelle, 17
District Five

"Do they really deserve this?"

Zach was almost shocked to hear the words coming out of his own mouth. The districts had rebelled. They had defied the Capitol. Of course they deserved this. They probably deserved far worse.

"That depends." Harakuise leaned forward in his chair, his eyes never leaving the screen as district after district played.

"On what?" Zach asked, surprised. Harakuise was known throughout the district as a strong Capitol supporter. If he didn't think they deserved this…

Harakuise shrugged. "Depends on what you mean by 'they.' If by 'they' you mean the districts, collectively, then the answer is yes. As a whole, they rebelled last year, and these are the consequences. Do they deserve to lose an extra tribute or two to replace the ones from last year? Yes."

Zach nodded. That made sense. Camden was nodding, as well. "But…" she prompted.

Harakuise smiled fondly. "But if you mean 'they' on a more individual basis, then the answer is no. Does that little girl walking to the stage really deserve this? Does she really deserve to be sent to her death? Probably not. Chances are, she didn't have a hand in what happened last year. Chances are, she didn't have anything to do with the rebels. A few of them, maybe, but most of them? Relatively speaking, they're innocent."

"But that's no different from how the Games normally work," Camden pointed out. "Sure, there's an occasional rebel or someone with rebel ties, but even in a typical year, most of the tributes are just normal, everyday kids. They're not particularly rebellious. They didn't do anything to deserve this. The other tributes in my Games – they didn't deserve what happened. But it happened. That's how the Games work. That's how they have to work."

"That's the whole point of the Games," Harakuise agreed. "And that's the real deterrent for any rebellion in the future. Every so often, you'll find a brave soul who's willing to risk their life for a cause. But when you remind them that innocent people will die – innocent people who weren't involved in any way – they think a bit harder. And they usually reconsider."

"Which is why the Games are such a clever punishment," Camden nodded. "They remind people that their actions have consequences not just for themselves, but for generations to come."

Generations to come. Zach shook his head. "Do you think…?" He trailed off. "No, it's not important."

Harakuise chuckled a little. "Thinking is always important. What is it, Zach?"

Zach looked up. "Do you think this is a permanent change? That the districts will have to keep sending extra tributes? I know it doesn't affect District Five, but—"

"Of course it affects District Five. Oh, not directly, of course. But having extra tributes in the Games affects everyone. You're one of forty-six now instead of one of twenty-four."

"But do you think…?"

"I don't know," Harakuise admitted. "I think that will depend on what happens this year. How people respond. If President Grisom thinks this needs to continue in order to keep the districts in line, then it'll be a permanent change. If not, then it won't. He understands the importance of flexibility."

Liana drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Who cares?"

Harakuise chuckled a little. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? I mean who cares if it's going to be a permanent change or not? I'm not here to worry about what's going to happen in the 43rd Games or the 50th Games of the 100th Games. I want to win this year. I don't care about next year; this year has extra tributes. Let's deal with that."

Harakuise nodded. "Fair enough. You were watching the same reapings I was. What did you see?"

"A lot of extra tributes."

"More specifically."

Liana hesitated. "Extra Careers?"

Camden nodded. "Bingo. How many?"

"Four extras from Four. So twelve total," Zach answered.

"That makes for a rather large pack," Camden remarked.

"Or two or three smaller packs," Zach pointed out.

Camden grinned. "Exactly. So you'll have to decide whose pack to join."

Liana shrugged. "The stronger one, obviously."

Harakuise shook his head. "They're all Careers. They're all strong – but in different ways. Look at the Career victors we have. Harriet didn't win the same way Mortimer did. Camden didn't win the same way Jasper did. Strength means different things in different arenas."

Camden nodded. "In a zoo arena, animal knowledge is strength. In a field arena, plant knowledge is a strength."

Liana crossed her arms. "What about weapons?"

Harakuise shrugged. "Weapons are a strength anywhere. But there may not always be the weapons you want. My year, there were knives. Different types of knives, sure, but that was it. Didn't matter one bit if you could use a bow or a spear or a club – unless you were planning to make your own."

"So knowing how to make weapons is also a strength," Camden agreed.

Liana shook he head, impatient. "So what's the answer?"

Harakuise smirked. "The answer?"

"To whose pack to join. Who should we ally with?"

Harakuise shook his head. "There is no answer. Not right now, at least. It's not that easy. And you may not have much of a choice."

Zach cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that whoever's heading up the Career pack can afford to be picky. If they don't want you, they don't have to take you. They don't have to worry about numbers this year. There will probably end up being two packs – one with more skilled, talented fighters and one with those who didn't quite make the cut."

"So we want to be in the first group," Liana guessed.

"Not necessarily," Camden pointed out. "During my own Games, I managed to convince the other Careers to let me join their pack during training. But they still saw me as an outsider. Once we were in the Games, they turned on me immediately. You don't want that."

"Turned out all right for you," Liana pointed out.

"I was lucky. And the sponsors loved me. With forty-six tributes, the sponsors will be spread thin. You can't count on the same thing."

Harakuise nodded. "You don't want to end up outside a pack – not right away, at least. Eventually, it's every man for himself, but at the beginning, at least, you need allies."

"So we should wait," Zachary concluded.

"Wait?" Liana repeated.

"Yeah. Wait to see what sort of groups develop, what each pack is like, what they have as far as numbers – and then decide which to join."

Liana sighed impatiently but then nodded reluctantly. "All right. We wait."

Zach turned to Camden, who nodded. It wasn't the plan they had come up with, but it was something. And, right now, it was the best plan they had.

That was good enough for him.

Cordelia Astier, 15
District Six

"None of you deserve this."

Cordelia glanced at her fellow tributes, gathered on three couches that formed a U-shape. She sat on one end, with Paget beside her on the couch. Delvin and Alexi sat on the next couch, Nadine and Presley on the third. Nicodemus' wheelchair closed the circle, between Presley and Cordelia.

"None of you," Nicodemus repeated gently, glancing at Presley, then Cordelia and her brother. "You may have been told differently, but none of you deserve what's about to happen. But here we are. To be perfectly honest, you're already starting out at a disadvantage. There are six of you. There's only one of me. You're going to have to be patient with me." He glanced around. "It's easier for me to talk to all six of you at once – at least at first – but if any of you would prefer to be coached separately from the start, now's the time to say so."

Cordelia glanced at Paget, who shook his head. All around the circle, the others did the same – all except Delvin. "What about Vernon?" he asked.

Nicodemus shook his head. "Vernon hasn't mentored since his son died. The Games take their toll on mentors, too. You're welcome to ask him, of course, but I can already tell you it's a dead end."

Delvin nodded. "All right. So where do we start?"

"How about allies?" Alexi suggested.

Presley perked up at that. "Are you offering?"

"Offering?"

"An alliance," Presley said matter-of-factly. She turned to Nicodemus. "What do you think?"

Nicodemus leaned forward a little. "Allying with your district partner – or partners – does have advantages. Can anyone tell me why?"

Cordelia smiled a little. He sounded like a teacher trying to coax students into answering a question. She almost felt compelled to raise her hand before speaking. "Because then mentors don't have to choose who to help," she said quietly.

Nicodemus nodded. "That's one reason, certainly. If two or three of you are together, and I can send a gift that would help a group of people rather than just one, that's a good thing. What else?"

"It's one less thing to worry about later," Alexi offered. "If you already have allies going into training, you don't have to worry about taking time to look for them. You can just focus on training."

"Also true," Nicodemus agreed. "What's the downside?"

"The downside?" Alexi asked.

Nicodemus nodded. "Every strategy in the Games has a downside. There isn't a strategy that's right for everyone, every time. If there was, everyone would use it. So … What's the downside? What's the disadvantage of allying with your district partners."

"They die." Everyone turned towards the voice, surprised. Nadine shrugged. "Well? It's true."

"It is," Nicodemus admitted, though, from his tone, he wouldn't have put it as bluntly. "I've seen district partners become very close. When one of them dies … It can be very devastating for the other. Three years after my Games, the District Seven tributes were very close allies, despite their age difference. But the girl – Lydia – was badly injured by mutts the first night. Casper spent the next day trying to care for her, trying to save her … but he couldn't. But that's not the worst that can happen."

Presley leaned forward, intrigued, and asked the obvious question. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Nicodemus hesitated a moment, then continued. "The Games before mine … the 25th Games, the first Quarter Quell … two of District Twelve's tributes were in an alliance together. They and their allies stuck together for days, but, after their other two allies died, Brennan and Blythe parted ways. Neither wanted to be there to see the other die. But do you know what happened after that?"

"They found each other again?" Paget guessed.

"Not just 'found each other.' Their mentor drove them together, manipulated them into finding each other. Brennan knew the Gamemakers wouldn't let them simply walk away, so he killed Blythe. His district partner. His ally." He shook his head. "The worst thing about having allies isn't that they might die – It's that you might have to kill them."

"But isn't that…?" Cordelia started, but trailed off.

Nicodemus turned. "Go ahead. Isn't that what?"

"Isn't that true no matter who your allies are – whether they're your district partners or not?"

"Absolutely. And, to be perfectly honest, that's why I didn't want any allies during my Games. I didn't want to get attached – or let anyone get attached to me. That's one way to play the Game. It's not the only way. Some of the other victors had a group of allies. Some had one or two. Some didn't have any. It all depends on the person."

Cordelia nodded. That made sense. It wasn't particularly helpful, but it made sense.

"I think we should," Paget said suddenly.

Delvin cocked an eyebrow. "Should what?"

"Form an alliance. The six of us. What do you say?"

Cordelia turned, surprised. She had assumed that it would just be the two of them – her and Paget. That no one else would want to ally with them, especially not tributes from their own district. Tributes who knew who they were.

But Alexi was undeterred. "I'm in."

"Sounds good," Presley readily agreed.

Alexi turned to Nadine. "What about you?"

"I…" She hesitated a moment, but then nodded. "All right."

Alexi glanced at Cordelia, who nodded. She just hoped Paget knew what he was doing.

The five of them turned to Delvin, who shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

Nadine smirked. "Not good enough for you?"

Delvin shook his head. "Well, I wasn't going to put it that way, but … no. Look at you. All of you. Forming an alliance based on … what? The fact that you all want one? Some idea that he'll be able to help all of you at once? That's not how things work. That's not how the Games work. There is no 'we.' Only one person survives. One. You really think allying with each other will help that person be you?" He shook his head. "I'm going to go find the tape of the reapings." He headed for the next car.

Nicodemus nodded. "He's not wrong. You don't have to decide anything now."

"We already have," Paget insisted.

"It doesn't hurt to keep your options open. Go watch the reapings with Delvin; I'll catch up in a moment."

One by one, the other tributes left – even Paget – but Cordelia lingered by Nicodemus' side. "Your brother seemed quite eager to secure an alliance," Nicodemus observed. "I think he has a plan."

Cordelia nodded. "That's a good thing, though, right?"

Nicodemus leaned back in his wheelchair. "Depends on what that plan is."

Cordelia shook her head. Paget had a plan. And, whatever it was, he seemed pretty certain of it. Paget would never do anything that would hurt her. She would just have to trust him.

That was good enough for her.

"I understand that you live in a world where righteousness and evil seem very far apart, but that is not the real world."