HELLO READERS! Ready for Chapter Three? I know I am!

So yeah….I don't own Hunger Games….but I do own Malay and Marissa from previous chapters…

Chapter Three: Off to the Capitol

This train is moving too slow. I want to get to the Capitol already. I look over at Clove, who is twirling a butter knife in her hand, obviously bored. Our mentors, Enobaria and Brutus were nowhere to be found, and all Clove and I had seen so far were a couple of Avoxes who had come to serve us food.

The door of our compartment slides open smoothly, and two adults walk in. I had seen them on the television before, and they looked the same as they did before.

"So these are our tributes." Brutus states, crossing his arms. Enobaria smiles viciously.

"I don't know Brutus, they look like fighters to me." She states as she looks at Clove.

"We are fighters." I say loudly. These two were already getting on my nerves. Brutus chuckles, and turns to Clove.

"Are you a fighter darling? Because you sure don't seem like one." He states, putting one finger under her chin and tilting her face upwards. Clove whips a knife out of nowhere, and holds it to Brutus's neck.

"Don't be condescending." She states simply. Brutus nods, and smiles at us.

"We've got winners this year, Enobaria. I can just feel it."

"What are your names?" Enobaria asks us.

"Cato." I tell her.

"Clove."

"And I assume you are both eighteen? District Two is pretty careful about their volunteers…" Brutus says, predicting the usual.

"I'm fifteen." Clove states. Enobaria smirks.

"Well, aren't you special then." She spits snarkily. Then she stomps out of the compartment, and leaves us with Brutus.

"She wasn't allowed in early." Brutus sighs. "But apparently you are special. District Two is known to be careful in the volunteers they pick."

"She throws knives." I add. Clove looks at me surprised, like I had never watched her in the training center.

"He fights with swords." She interrupts. I can tell she wants a fight, and it's a fight she'll get.

"She never misses her target."

"He never loses a match."

"She's been training since she was five."

"He got moved up to the advanced class at age ten—"

"WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP?" Brutus shouts. Both Clove and I have risen off of our seats, and for the past couple of seconds, we had been yelling in each other's faces. Clove crosses her arms and sits down. I follow suit.

"Now that you two have finished arguing over the better fighter, can we get down to business?" Both of us nod. "Great. I assume you will join up with District One and form the typical alliance? You are all Careers after all."

"That was my plan." Clove states. Her voice is no longer harsh and loud, but soft and agreeable.

"Same here."

"Good. Now once we can get Enobaria to come back, we can form more specific plans, and angles for the sponsors." He looks at me. "I'm sure you'll have no trouble playing confident and respectable?"

"Not a problem." I respond immediately. Brutus looks to Clove.

"And you my dear, based upon our introduction to each other, shouldn't have a problem acting innocent and sweet?"

"I'll do my best." She says.

"Alrighty then. I'm going to head back to my room, and you two can converse on your own. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." He says. Both Clove and I watch him leave, and then we embrace a long and awkward silence.

"So…" she begins after a while.

"So…what?" I reply. I don't know what to talk about. It's not like District Two people make small talk a lot.

"So…what's your plan for the arena? I mean, besides the whole Career alliance thing?" she asks me. Based on her expression, she doesn't know what to talk about either.

"Well, once the bloodbath kids are killed, we'll have to kill who we can."

"And the other Careers?" she questions me. Her eyebrows are raised, waiting for the answer.

"We could kill them in their sleep, I guess. Or have a torturous battle of our own." Clove nods.

"The Capitol would like that." She says quietly. Then she looks down at her hands, and the silence begins again. Thankfully, we are saved by our district's reaping announcer, Cassius. He smiles, and sits down by us. The Capitol is a very odd place in the sense of appearance. He has vivid green hair and a thick line of blue eyeliner on as well. He wears a bright suit, colors ranging from bright to dark, mostly cold hues. Greens, blues, and purples spot his outfit, and make him look even weirder.

"So, Cato and Clove, right?" he asks us as he begins opening a bottle of pink liquid.

"Yes." Clove replies. She has returned to her bored state, playing around with a butter knife and ignoring the world around her.

"You are both very…confident people." Cassius says carefully.

"Confident?" I ask him. He nods, or gulps. I can't really tell which. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…you both volunteered…and Clove at such a young age and all…"

"I can manage myself perfectly fine, thank you." Clove says. Then she leaves the car. Probably off to explore another compartment.

Leaving me with the bright colored idiot.

"She's right. She's a really strong girl." I tell Cassius.

"And you?" he asks me. I feel my anger start to flare again.

"What? I don't look strong? I don't look like I could handle the games?" I shout at him. He stands up quickly, attempting to leave before I get too mad, but he spills his pink drink all over me. The look of pure fear is now plastered on his face.

"I am so sorry…let me fix…" he begins, but I stand up to my full height, a good foot taller than him, and he whimpers like a kicked puppy. I push him as hard as I can, and he falls into the refreshment table. I smile, and leave the compartment. He doesn't know it, but he's lucky. I showed a lot of restraint there, whether he thought so or not.

But restraint is something I won't have to worry about in a couple days, now is it?