Raised to Fight, Born to Die: The District 2 Tributes

Hey everyone. I Hope you enjoy this chapter, I know it's kind of boring, sorry! Keep in mind that this is my first story! Comments, reviews and feedback are appreciated! Thank you!

(Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or its characters.)

~*~*~X~*~*~

Chapter 3: The Capitol

~*~*~X~*~*~

Clove

Cato and I board the train that goes from the Justice Building to the Capitol. The ride is short, because of the breathtaking speed of the train. Usually, back in District Two, the trains are slower. We have a large district, so there are small trains that go from one end of the district to the other, but they aren't nearly as fast as the Capitol trains. The north side of the district is where the poorer neighborhoods and smaller shops are. The center is where the school, the Main Square, the Tribute Training Centers and the expensive shops and businesses are. The south side is full with the homes of the rich or middle class, along with our Victors' Village, where victors of all the past Games live. We've had to expand it twice because it is so full.

Anyway, we get to the Capitol only in a few hours, seeing as our district basically borders the Capitol. We are so close because we supply the Capitol with their Peacekeepers, and we are one of the favored districts.

I walk down the hallway into my room, which is truly magnificent. My "room" actually consists of a few rooms; a closet and dressing room, a bedroom, and a private bathroom. I walk straight into the bathroom and take a cool shower. After I come out, I get dressed and walk out of my room and down the hallway toward the dining room. Only I bump into someone the minute I close my bedroom door. Cato.

"Sorry," I say. I stay still, letting him walk ahead of me, but instead he waves me ahead. We walk together down the hall, looking for the dining room.

"So, what do you think the arena will be like this year?" I ask him to make conversation.

"Um," he says.

I'm not entirely sure. There's usually no way to predict what the Gamemakers will prepare for us, so he just shrugs. "There's probably gonna be some kind of forest. There usually are trees in almost every arena." Seeing as one year most of the tributes died from the cold, the Gamemakers usually provide trees for firewood.

We walk into the room, and it is empty except for an Avox. I ask him if we can eat, and he nods. We walk over to the table of food.

"I hope not," I reply. "Then everyone just hides in there, and we have to look for them."

Cato shakes his head with a laugh. "That's the game," he says. "It's more fun to hunt them down. That's the point."

I laugh, because his words make me realize how much I wish we could just go to the arena already. "I can't wait!" I say, sounding stupid but barely being able to contain my excitement.

"Me too," he says with a smirk.

Cato fills his plate with roasted chicken and spaghetti, and I do the same. We seat ourselves at the dining table and wait to meet our mentors.

We don't have to wait long. A man and a young woman come into the room and fill their plates with food. The man looks strong and burly, and he looks like he could be middle-aged. The woman looks a lot younger. She is beautiful, and I automatically think back to the 71st Hunger Games, where she got her sponsors by using her beauty and charm to her advantage.

The woman turns to look at me. "My name is Avena, and this is Brutus." She gestures to the man accompanying her and she smiles. "We will be your mentors."

They sit down at the table and they don't waste time. Brutus says, "So, tell me about yourselves. What you can do."

Cato goes first. "I'm strong. I have good aim when I throw-"

"Right, good," Brutus interrupts. "And how about you, girl?"

"I have a name," I say.

Brutus seems amused. "Well, let's hear it."

"Call me Clove."

"Well, Clove, what can you do?"

I decide I do not like Brutus.

"I can throw too. Like Cato," I say, glancing at Cato. He is too busy eating to notice. "When I run, I'm really fast-"

"And what scores did you both have in Tribute Training back in Two?" Brutus interrupts once again.

"I have 12 for Strength, 16.5 in Agility, and 17 in Skill," I recite.

Brutus raises his eyebrows.

Cato stops eating, finally, and states his scores. "18 for Strength, 14 in Agility, and 17 in Skill."

Back home, we had to go through years of rigorous Tribute Training. Technically, districts are not allowed to prepare for the Hunger Games, but the Capitol lets their favorite districts slide. In Tribute Training, there are three categories of training you have to complete. Strength, Agility, and Skill. Obviously, Strength tests how strong you are. Agility tests you on how in shape you are, and how easily you can move around in battle. Skill tests how good you are with survival skills, weapons, etc. After each school year ends, you get three scores out of 20 for each category of Training.

Brutus nods. "Well," he says to Avena, who hasn't said a word yet, "Looks like we've got a good pair this year."

~*~*~X~*~*~

Cato

The food is so good. I'm practically inhaling everything.

Brutus starts to ask us questions, and for a moment I hate him because I'm trying to eat.

First he asks us what our skills are. Clove and I try to answer, but Brutus keeps interrupting. So I rudely eat while he is talking and only stop until it is my turn to answer a question.

After our meal, the train glides into the Capitol. We are here. Avena tells us to smile and wave out the windows. "We have to start getting sponsors right away," she explains.

So Clove and I wave and smile our way through the city, full of brightly-colored people and humongous buildings, until we get to the big building that is the Training Center. For a second I think of how it looks so alike to our Tribute Training Building back home.

Soon Clove and I are taken to the Remake Center. I grimace for a second because the people here are weird, and they talk about the stupidest things. I'm glad I don't live in the Capitol.

All they do to me is style my hair. I hear Clove cry out in pain in the other room and I laugh to myself, wondering about what she's going through.

"There, now you're ready to see your stylists!" One of them chirps excitedly when they look at Clove and me. They have weird accents, too.

Two women walk into the room. They tell us their names are Zaria and Estelle. Zaria is dressed in a simple all-black suit with the tips of her spiky hair dyed a bloody red. Estelle's skin is a light orange, with dark red hair and is dressed in a light colored dress. They both have that distinctive Capitol look upon them, but at the same time they look…good.

Zaria tells me she will be my stylist and Estelle will be Clove's stylist. They start talking about the Games and what they want to dress us up in for the next upcoming events. Zaria says we need to do our best to get sponsors. The fact that the Capitol already favors our district doesn't guarantee us anything.

All in all, I find the conversation boring.

"So," Zaria says, "Seeing as you're from District Two, you and Clove will have to be dressed in something to do with building and stonework."

I only nod, having no idea what we will be wearing this year.

"At first we had no idea what to design, but then we thought it would be good to show the strength of District Two through your costumes," Estelle explains. "We have the costumes ready for you."

So they usher Clove and me into dressing rooms and we get dressed. Clove takes longer to come out because she has more makeup on. Soon enough, though, she comes out.

My mouth gapes open.

Clove looks fierce, deadly, and above all, beautiful. She wore a costume identical to mine: gold body armor with hard gold plates covering her torso, a gold helmet with wings on each side of her head, and a flowing golden cape that flows behind her. All the gold reflects off her costume, and mine, making us appear to have a shiny glow surrounding us, like a halo. Her face is flawless…not that it ever isn't, but…not that I see her like that…well, you know what I mean.

She grins a cocky grin. "Close your mouth, you'll catch bugs," she says mockingly. I close my mouth. She hesitates for a moment and then says, "You don't look so bad yourself."

Zaria and Estelle hurry us onto out chariot, which is black with gold plating. It is pulled by two huge midnight-black stallions. I know for a fact we are going to look strong and deadly. I can't wait.

I see District One's chariot pull out in front of us. They look good but at the same time petty, dressed in shiny, flashy clothing. I make a face and I see Clove doing the same.

"Alright, when you go out, wave to the crowd! I want big smiles! Big smiles! Cheer with the crowd, encourage them, show them you are confident and strong!" Zaria instructs excitedly. "You both look wonderful. This is the time to get sponsors! Most of the other districts don't stand out, if you look back behind you District 7 is dressed in all white, District 11 is dressed in farmers' clothes, and District 12 is in all black coal miners' outfits like usual. Now look at yourselves. This is your time to shine!" Clove and I nod and then the chariots start to move forward.

I plaster on my biggest, most confident smile I have and I wave to the crowd, which is roaring with excitement. People dressed in every color in the world throw flowers and kisses toward the chariots, and I see Clove blowing kisses back. I look at the screen televising each district's entrance and I see I am right; Clove and I look unbelievably tough. Zaria and Estelle have truly outdone themselves.

Then something strange happens. Everyone looks toward the back of the chariot line and the crowd practically explodes. Cheering and whooping louder than before, if that's possible. I think back to what Estelle said about the last few chariots with plain-looking tributes, so I am confused. I look at Clove for an explanation but she only shrugs. I start to feel enraged because they are supposed to be looking at us, not the farmers and coal miners in the back.

When we get to the front of the crowd, I finally get to look behind us. I still see seven more chariots being pulled, and…at the end…was that fire?

"Clove," I say, getting her attention. I point with my chin to the last chariot and laugh. "Something happened. District Twelve's chariot caught on fire!"

Clove's face turns into one of surprise when she spots the last chariot. We are laughing with each other until the chariot reaches the front of the crowd.

The chariot is not on fire. It was not an accident.

The tributes themselves. Their costumes are burning. And they aren't being burned.

And the audience is going crazy.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Clove

Cato's body rocks with anger. I am angry too. District Twelve is stealing practically the whole audience's attention!

They are on fire. Literally. Now though, now that I've gotten a closer look, I don't think it is real fire. It's just part of the costume.

"Who do they think they are?" Cato whispers madly in my ear. "Since when does District Twelve ever actually look appealing? Since when do they play a big part in the Games!"

"Calm down, Cato," I say, putting my hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "It's only the chariot outfit. It's only their appearance. I seriously doubt they will actually be good in the Games. Cato. Cato! Calm down!"

He suddenly turns to me to say something, but President Snow interrupts him with a welcome message. I can't help noticing the cameras are fully focused on District Twelve's chariot, even though they are supposed to be showing every tribute's face up close.

After President Snow is finished, the chariots loop around the circle one more time for the audience and then we disappear into the Training Center.

Once the doors shut, Zaria and Estelle run up to us and help us down from our chariots. "You both have done brilliantly," Estelle says, but I now what she's thinking. District Twelve was the best by far. Cato and I glance over at the District Twelve tributes, a stocky blond boy and a small skinny girl. They got such good stylists! I mean, don't get me wrong, Zaria and Estelle are great, but…still.

But then I think about it. They do not look like anything impressive. They look like the kind of tributes that are easy to kill off once the Games start. I know it's bad to underestimate my enemies, but I can't help it. Their stylists got them all the attention today, not themselves. I turn away from them and tell Cato to do the same. "They're not worth it," I tell him.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Today is the first day of training. When I wake up, I see an Avox laying out clothes for me on a bureau. I say thank you and I slip into my outfit, a simple black thing with a red and a grey stripe running down the side and a red number "2" on each arm.

We are already technically in the Training Center, but there is a separate tower that branches off from the main building. It has a floor for each district to stay in until the Games start. Cato, Brutus, Avena and I share the second floor.

I walk down the hallway to District Two's dining room. Each floor has its own rooms, so I don't need to take an elevator to get there.

Anitah Kellet joins us for breakfast. I didn't even know she was here with us. It turns out she will be escorting us right until we enter the arena. Too bad. She is too perky and annoying for my taste.

After a delicious breakfast, Brutus instructs us to take the elevator down to the Training Center. "Look impressive," he says. "Obviously, you both are Careers, but do not make any move to ally with Districts One and Four until they come up to you first." He turns to me. "Clove, I know you like your knives. Make sure to throw a lot of those, and make sure the other tributes see."

I nod.

Then he turns to Cato. "You," he starts. "You are very strong. Use that to your advantage. Throw things around. Lift weights. Try as best you can to intimidate the weaker or smaller tributes, and to impress the other Careers."

He escorts us both to the elevator.

"But what about survival skills?" I ask. Personally, I think they are a waste of time, but you never know.

Cato shakes his head. "We won't need any. We've got the Cornucopia, remember?" He looks at Brutus for confirmation. "Right?"

Brutus nods. "You won't be needing any of that," he says to me. I nod and the elevator arrives. Cato and I get in and press the button of the floor for the Training Center.

It is a silent ride down. For a moment, Cato and I make eye contact, and that's when the silence gets awkward. I realize I don't want him to die. I don't want anyone to kill him. Yet, I already accept his death because I want to get home myself. I think of all the laughs we have had in the past few days, and I think, given different circumstances, we could be friends. I barely have time to wish that we had known each other back in District Two when the elevator doors open.

Now I see the other districts up close, what they really are under all the costumes and makeup from the chariot rides. Most of them aren't anything special, except a large, burly looking boy from Eleven and the kids from One and Four, who are probably thinking the same thing.

The elevator opens once again and I see the tributes from District Twelve walk in. Maybe they came last to make an entrance. I don't know. All I do know is that my annoyance must show on my face because Cato laughs quietly and shakes his head. "Just ignore them," he says. His calculating eyes stare them up and down for a second and he turns back to me. He leans down and whispers in my ear, "They don't look like anything special. We can beat them easily."

I agree with a grin and turn to a raised platform, where a tall woman demands out attention.

"Welcome all," she says in a graceful voice. "My name is Atala and I am here to introduce to you the training schedule." She does not smile. Her face is devoid of any emotion, which takes away from her words of welcome. "Take a look around the room," she says, gesturing with her arms. "As you can see, there are several different stations to which you may travel to and from whenever you please, or whenever your mentors say so. Practice known talents or discover new ones. There will be no combat with other tributes. There will be specialists and professionals for each station that are there to aid you in your next three days of training. At noon you will proceed through those doors-" she points to a set of double doors at the end of the room, "and eat lunch in the mess hall."

Atala starts to read off the names of each station, but I lose interest. Apparently, Cato does as well. I notice the girl from District Twelve staring at us. I smile a truly wicked smile, cross my arms, and do not break my gaze. Cato has his own intimidating stance, and, I have to admit, if I were that girl I would be scared. Imagine, not being trained to fight, but being raised to fear the Hunger Games. To fear the arena. To stay away from the Career tributes because they are deadly and never hesitate to kill.

The boy and girl from District One are doing the same. They have walked up to us and are staring down the girl too. I almost laugh to myself. It is already given that we have allied as the official 74th Hunger Games Careers and are already planning to kill her right away. I glance at the blond girl from One and smile a knowing smile. She returns it with pleasure.

"Alright, everyone," Atala finally finishes. "You may begin training."

Cato nudges me and points to the station with axes, spears, swords and knives. I nod with a grin and we walk over, the kids from One following us. Cato picks up a heavy-looking sword, and I pick up a knife. The girl from One copies me and the boy from One takes a spear. After a few seconds of getting familiar with our weapons, we walk over to the targets. Cato takes up combat with a specialist aid and I start throwing along with the kids from District One.

My first throw hits a target dead center. No surprise there. "Nice throw," the boy from one says. "I'm Marvel," he introduces himself. "That over there is Glimmer."

I nod. "My name's Clove," I say. I point to Cato, who is now maneuvering his sword against two aids with ease. "That's Cato," I say. "Watch out for him."

"And from the looks of your throwing, watch out for you too," he compliments me.

I pick up another knife and throw. Thump. It hits the center. "Well," I say. "Let's see you throw, then?"

He picks up a knife and throws. Not bad, but there's room for improvement. "I'm better with spears," he says with a grin.

I decide to offer him advice. "When you throw, balance your feet more. Spread them out so your balance is stable and strong."

He is about to try throwing again when Cato and the girl from One comes over, his arm slung casually around her shoulder. "This is Glimmer," he says. She laughs, or maybe it is closer to a giggle. She slings her arm around him and turns to me. "Hi, it's Clove, right?"

"Yes," I say, but the word comes out weird. Apparently Cato notices too, because he glances at me, his eyebrows bunching in confusion, but I shake my head and dismiss it. "Yeah, I'm Clove. Nice to meet you, Glimmer."

That giggle comes out of her mouth again and she walks away toward one of the trainers. There she picks up a knife and asks him to help her throw.

A flash of annoyance spreads through me as I look at her. She seems simpleminded enough, but I still think something is wrong. Or at least suspicious. All I know is, I do not like the way she laughs around Cato.

This thought alarms me. I barely know the boy, and yet I'm already getting territorial around him? Especially when I'm about to kill him in a week?

Marvel nudges me with his elbow and I surface from my thoughts. He gestures to the weightlifting station and asks me if I want to see him lift. I say yes, and with that, I gladly leave Cato and Glimmer to lift weights with Marvel.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Cato

It is lunchtime now. Glimmer and I put down our spears and meet up with Clove and the boy from One, Marvel I think. The four of us walk down to the dining hall.

Once in the hall I see carts of food throughout the room. We have to serve ourselves. Clove moves to get a plate and I follow her, cutting Glimmer off mid-sentence.

Clove sees me approach her. "So, what do you think of District One?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

I fill my plate with mashed potatoes and steak. "I never talked to Marvel, but Glimmer seems okay." Clove makes a face I don't think I was meant to see. "A bit annoying, actually." I rush the words out of my mouth for some reason.

"Oh," Clove says. I can hear the relief in her voice, though I don't think she meant for me to hear it. When she turns around to fill her plate with some potatoes, I realize I am smiling to myself.

I catch myself. I can be friends with-or at least, temporarily be friends with-Glimmer if I want to. Clove can't stop me.

And yet for a moment I allow myself to think there is something more than friendship on her mind.

No. That can't be. Why would Clove like me? Doesn't she know this is kind of the wrong place for that kind of stuff? If I was her, I would set my mind straight now and stay focused on the Hunger Games, not fret over some girl giggling with my district partner.

I think about Glimmer as Clove and I each grab a cup of water and place it on our trays. Even if it were under different circumstances, I wouldn't be interested in either of them. With every thought that comes to mind, the more repulsed I get.

"Hello?"

"What?"

"I said have you met the District Four kids yet?"

"Oh," I say, relieved she didn't pick up on my thoughts. "No, I didn't."

"Well, Marvel says they want to meet us." She pauses for a second. "Let's go sit with them."

"Whatever you say," I answer. We walk over to Marvel's table, where Glimmer and the District Four kids are being noisy and laughing with each other. Clove sits down next to Marvel, so I sit down next to Glimmer.

"Heeeey, Cato," Glimmer chirps. "Hi, Clove."

"Stop being a flirt," Marvel snaps. Then he and Glimmer start laughing, and I start laughing too.

"Look at this year's batch," the girl from Four says to her district partner. She shrugs. "Don't look like much, do they?"

Clove cuts in. "Look at the boy from Eleven. He looks like something."

I agree with Clove. "And I think-"

I stop mid-sentence as I hear laughter. Laughter. Not from our table. Who else would sit together? Normally non-Career tributes don't make alliances this early on. Everyone at my table turns around to see…

Ah, of course. The boy and girl from District Twelve. Why are they sitting together?

Clove nudges me across the table. "They're even wearing the same clothes," she snickers.

I look back at the boy and girl and I realize Clove is right. It's like they're…twins or something.

I also remember, back during the chariot ride, that they were holding hands. Strange.

"Did you hear me, Cato?"

"Uh, sorry what?"

"I said forget about them. They're probably not even going to make it from the Cornucopia," Glimmer chirps dismissively.

"Right," I say, not really paying attention.

I sneak a glance at Clove. We share a look. She must feel the same way, then. I can't shake the feeling that these two tributes, nobodies from District Twelve, are up to something. All I know is that they won't survive Clove and me. This year's Games is certainly going to be fun.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Today is the second day of training. We are eating breakfast when Brutus and Avena ask about our Career alliance.

Since I am too busy eating to answer, Clove says, "District One seemed eager to ally with us. Four, on the other hand, didn't really talk to us."

"Okay," Brutus concludes. "Ally with One, obviously, but maybe Four isn't interested in being Careers this year."

"Or maybe they're waiting to see if you two are valuable enough to have as Career allies," Avena chimes in.

I swallow my food. "I don't think Four is very interested in us. The only time we were together yesterday was during lunch. One and Four sat with us." I take another huge mouthful of food.

Oh, speaking of lunch," Clove starts, "Yesterday I saw the boy from Eleven. I really think he's going to be hard to beat. The rest don't seem like much."

Brutus raises his eyebrows at this. "Do you happen to know who his mentor is?"

"No," Clove and I say together. I add, "We should watch the reapings."

"Ah, yes!" Anitah Kellet says, happy to finally be a part of the conversation. "I have all the reapings recorded, so we can watch them before you go to training today."

We all nod and finish our food.

District One is as excited for the Games as our district was. There is even a commotion of whether a thirteen-year-old boy called out to volunteer first or whether Marvel did. We see our reaping, where Clove volunteers for Waverly, my friend Rhia's little sister, and Ronan is called, and I jump up to volunteer for him.

The rest of the districts are a blur, save a few. Four's reaping is loud, with the people in the square singing some chant as the two tributes walk up to the stage.

"What're they singing for?" Clove asks. "I can't even tell what they're saying."

"A chant for good luck," says Avena. "It's in a very ancient language. Latin, I think it's called."

District Seven picks their tributes, but when the boy is called he refuses to go up at first. The Peacekeepers have to drag him up to the stage. Coward. Clove shakes her head, reading my thoughts.

The girl from Eleven goes up and a huge herd of relatives and siblings practically beaks down, crying and wailing after her. The girl on stage is trying hard not to cry. Then the burly boy is called, and when he goes up the district is completely silent.

For District Twelve's reaping, some little girl gets called, and the short girl we saw in the Training Center volunteers for her. Twelve's Capitol escort asks if they are related. The volunteer says yes.

After the blond boy is called, some drunk man stumbles onto the stage, and then falls off the stage to the ground. Clove snorts and bursts out laughing, and I join in. What an embarrassment! Even Brutus and Avena are shaking their heads.

"My goodness," Anitah Kellet says in disgust. "How can they stand for their citizens to act like that. Especially their only mentor! Can you believe-"

"Wait wait wait wait," I say, interrupting. "That's their mentor? That old drunk man?"

"You're kidding," says Clove, surprised.

"Yes, I believe that's Haymitch Abernathy," Brutus says, identifying the man. "Seems like he lost his charm." He chuckles.

"How the hell did he win his Games?" Clove says with a look of disbelief.

Brutus shrugs. "Don't remember much about that year, just that he was smarter than the others."

I raise my eyebrows.

"Oh, look at the time!" Anitah exclaims. "It's time for you to go to training! Go, go, go!" Anitah practically shoves us to the elevator.

"Any advice?" Clove asks.

Avena talks first. "Don't push an alliance with Four, it doesn't seem like they're interested this year," she says.

"Keep an eye on them, though," Brutus inputs. "And don't forget that boy from Eleven. I caught a glimpse of him during the chariot ride, and he's as big as I was during my Games," he says sourly.

Clove and I nod and step into the elevator. Clove pushes a button and we zoom downward.

Reviews and feedback please! I'm going to be on vacation for two weeks starting Saturday, so I don't know if I will be able to update during that time. Sorry.

This chapter took me a while to write, mostly because I had to keep referring to the book for the chariots and the Training Center and stuff. Hopefully you all enjoy my hard work.

P.S. Some of you have PMed me asking who Avena is and why Enobaria isn't the female mentor. I used Avena because I wanted to show that District Two has so many victors that the chances of the mentors being the only two we know of are slim.