Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games trilogy. I only own my original characters, the rest of the cubmitted original characters are owned by their respective creators.

It's I against I...
And me against you...

Trocadero - Blood Gulch Blues

Day 1 of Training...

Tim Lansing's POV

Atala... the head instructor of the Training Center's gym, laid down the ground rules and even explained that the tributes weren't allowed to fight each other. Unless they were authorized to spar against each other. But today there was to be no fighting amongst themselves... Today was the firearms and military training of three days. Team building was also including in today's training. I watched from the door, as the tributes went to a station to learn how to fire the new laser guns, and even work on strategies that will help them avoid elimination. Most of the exercises were to learn how to operate the guns, and how to find cover if they take enemy fire. I knew that there will be a few rule breakers, which is why I implemented a special punishment for any rulebreakers. One that will make them remember the rules, while get them in shape. And I didn't have to wait long for the fists to start flying neither...

District 2: Livia Drusus's POV

I stand at one of the firearm stations, practicing my marksmanship, when Dahlia Snow came up and stood beside me. She grabs the gun next to me and starts firing. She's a natural...

"Tell me..." I say. "How is that you're so good with a firearm?"

"Oh I've come to this very same training center all of the time during the Games. Only when the tributes were killing each other in the arena though." she replies. I take another two missed shots before turning back to her.

"You know I find your partner to be very attractive." I say. "Is he single?"

"Why so you can infect him with just about every STD you have slut?"

"What did you say?"

"You heard me!" Dahlia says. "I'm saying you're the slut of District 2! Every guy wants to get into your pants! Maybe when you get back home, you can work the street corner of your hometown!"

"Oh yeah? Well your grandfather is turning in his grave over you being the slut of the Capitol. Hey someone needs to take Finnick Odair's place, and I'm glad it's you!"

I must have really angered her with my remark, because as soon as I grin with confidence, her hands ball up into fists and her right fist is flying straight for my right eye. It connects hard, and knocks me to the floor. Dahlia jumps on top of me and we get into an all out catfight in the gym. With everyone stopping their training to watch us... Mr. Lansing and Atala walk over to us and pry us apart.

"Dahlia Snow and Livia Drusus... You two twenty-five laps around the gym... NOW!" Mr. Lansing shouts. We relunctantly begin our laps, running around the back of the stations as ordered by the Head Gamemaker. Everyone else went back to their training.

Day 2 of Training...

District 13: Catherine "Cat" Anton's POV

I watch the District 4 tributes and the angry guy from District 2 practice with swords. Today is our second day of training. So we're learning the traditional skills that were taught during the Hunger Games. There were a various stations, each one taught a different thing. I was at the spear station next to the sword station. The instructor broke me out of the thoughts I was having, and I returned my attention to training. But I did hear an argument between Tony and Caspian... It sounded like Caspian slipped up, and well everybody has heard what happened on the District 2 train, as Livia was sitting as far away from him as she could. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that he doesn't like his name shortened. And now everybody stopped what they were doing to watch the potential fight to break out and all hell to break loose.

District 4: Caspian Fishel's POV

I was sparring with my instructor... When Tony started to harrass Pearl, my partner. I stopped sparring, and listened in...

"So woman... You're going to be mine? I really want to show you how an lady is supposed to act." Tony said.

"I wouldn't date you, even if you were the last man in Panem!" Pearl replies. "You're obnoxious, you smell, and you have the worst attitude problem that I have ever seen!"

"You..."

I grab his shoulder as he looks ready to hit Pearl. "Tony man... It's not nice to hit a lady..."

"WHAT did you just call me!" Tony turned his attention and I realized my mistake. "Hey I'm sorry man... I didn't mean..."

"NO one calls me Tony! Not even a D4 career like you!" Tony took his sword and I only had a few seconds to block in time, or else he would've taken off my head. He continued to break my defense with even more powerful and stronger swings with his sword. That was until Atala, Mr. Lansing and Mr. Hawthorne rushed over to pull him away.

"Because you tried to kill another tribute..." Tim says. "You get to run double laps. Fifty laps Tony... Right now..."

"What did you call me!" Tony tried to attack Tim but Gale held him back. Tim turned his attention back to Tony.

"If you want to fight me then guess again." Tim said sternly and with anger in his voice. "Because you can't be replaced right now. So you're stuck here, and if you think you can bring me down... Guess again. I'm a trained soldier of the rebellion. I know how to kill you a hundred different ways, and all of them involves mutiliating your body Now you have fifty laps to give me by the end of the day. Get running now..."

Then I saw a look on Tony, in fact everybody saw the same look, it was the look of fear. Something that NO ONE expected to come from Anthony Howard. I think Livia is smiling over by the edible plants station. Tony takes a few seconds to collect himself before beginning his fifty laps around the running track, behind the stations. Applause for the Head Gamemaker erupted as the tributes cheered for the man who made these games possible. Mr. Lansing merely bowed with a smile on his face, before him and Gale left the gym for the elevators.

Gale Hawthorne's POV

We get into the elevator and Tim sighs before putting a stick of fruit flavored chewing gum into his mouth. I turn him and grin...

"I have a new found respect for you Tim..." I say. "I never expected you to put fear into Tony Howard like that..."

"Well I was being serious about the whole mutiliation thing." he replies with. "I was being serious in that I will kill him in one of the hundred ways I've been trained in, and will mutiliate his body so his parents can see that they were bad parents."

"I think he doesn't have a family, Tim. If I recall he has updated his records saying that he disowned his own family."

"Well if I had to kill him, then I guess I should a bottle of champagne to them to celebrate his horrible death."

"Oh that reminds me..." I say. "Dr. Monroe wants to see you in his office as soon as possible. He says Paylor brought something to his attention. I think he said it's Snow's long lost last will and testament."

"I think I know what this will be about..." he says with a sigh. "Alright i'll go seem him right away."

Dr. Alexander Monroe's POV

I sit at my desk, typing at my computer when I hear a knock at my door.

"It's open!" I say and I'm a bit surprised that it was President Paylor who came to visit me, and without her bodyguards too.

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced..." she said. "But I've found something I know you're interested in..."

"Can I see Madam President?" Paylor hands me an official document, it's President Snow's will. Which was never read because wills are never read for executed criminals in Panem. I look over it and the color drains from my face...

I, Coriolanus Snow, being of sound, mind and body. Hearby leave my last will and testament. To my children... Rosa and Virgil... I leave everything to you my son... As for my daughter, I leave you with nothing... I disowned you when you gave brith to that bastard son of yours, and married Philius Lansing. Your son, Timothy Lansing will get what is coming to him in the future. He will make a great Avox, if he ever gives me a good reason to make him one. Which I think will be rebellion against Panem? Virgil... the granddaughter you gave me fourteen years after your sister was disowned, will be a terrific heir to my legacy. Please don't let her be fooled by the people of the districts. Raise her to carry on my name and to continue the Hunger Games... The districts must be continued to be punished for their rebellion...

Next on my list is Dr. Alexander Monroe. I appreciate the Lazarus-Genesis Project you formed. I hear the fallen tributes of the 74th Hunger Games becoming Phoenixes was a success. I would like to become a Phoenix too, if I'm assassinated by rebels. And I will train the Phoenixes to build my new army and rise from the ashes of my former empire. With them, I'll be unstoppable... And a great job on infusing their blood into wolf fetuses and creating the wolf Mutts for me. Oh and great job on the Minotaur and the latest creation, the Kitsune. Both will be of great use in future Hunger Games, but if my empire is dissolved then the Mutts that were created from the fallen tributes of the last Hunger Games, will be used in my new army. Thank you once again for your dedication to Panem and the Capiol... I refuse to hear the rumors that you're with the rebellion in District 13. I even refuse to believe that Plutarch Heavensbee is a rebel as well. You two were my most dedicated employees. It is a great honor to give you glory for all of the work you two have done... But it's time for you to continue the work in my death... I want the Lazarus Protocols performed on my body as soon as I die... I know you can handle it Doctor...

I lose all color in my face, I'm horrified to learn of these events. Paylor says goodbye and leaves me with the will. I quickly grab my phone and call gale Hawthorne, to let him know that I need to see Tim right away...

Tim Lansing's POV

I arrive at Monroe's office, I see he is frantic and holding a piece of paper.

"What's wrong Doc?"

"Read this!" he hands me the paper and I read it. I'm horrified and it clearly shows. I can't believe this... I'M the grandson of President Snow, and my grandfather has been revived?

"This can't be true... It's impossible!"

"You being the oldest grandchild of President Snow is true, and his revival may be a lie. But with the Project still in play, it's possible." he said. "Look, I know you're shocked by this new bit of inforamtion, but you have to pull yourself together! Thos tributes are going to be walking into a trap! A trap set by your grandfather, and you'll be blamed if you don't find a way to expose the whole project and his revival!"

"What do you want me to do Doc? Just to let the die and then go find the facility when they're almost all dead?"

"No... I want you to wait for Snow to make the first move... Then you will go into the arena and you will protect those tributes before anymore are killed by Mutts."

"Sounds like a plan and it doesn't sound easy."

"Nothing about this is easy Tim. Just be careful... Your fiancee doesn't want you killed as well."

"Do we know where the facility is...?" Tim asks me. I tremble before I answer him...

"Of course! It's underneath the very arena that you're going to use for the games this year!" Tim let's out a groan of frustration before leaving my office. He didn't like that one bit, but then again I don't like it one bit and I was in charge of the facility!

Day 3 of Training, Gamemakers Test...

Peeta Mellark's POV

Well this is it, the last day of training... Today is the day our tributes will enter the makeshift laser tag arena with their vest and guns to be used in the actual arena. We're holding this mock indoor Hunger Games to test our tributes on what they've learned in the previous two days, besides starting fist fights amongst each other and running laps as punishment. This is also to get them used to the transporter system the guns and vests are programmed with. They need to get used to the feeling of being ripped to pieces at the molecular level and reassembled in a different location. So they get hit, they are transported to the back room, where Beetee and Dave are standing by to ensure the tributes are okay once they've been eliminated. So far the only districts remaining are 2, 3, 4, 11, and the Capitol. Everyone else was eliminated early in the morning. So far the only problems that Beetee or Dave reported in was the tributes throwing up their breakfast after materializing in the back room. That's the only problem as the rest of the bugs have been worked out, and it's the least of our worries as Gamemakers. I just hope those tributes don't reappear with their heads on backwards. Because I don't think we can reverse that...

I notice Tim isn't paying much attention to the test down below. He should be watching and giving his opinion on the final score of each tribute. Of course the place that the tribute is eliminated in, only helps the final score, and is not such a big deal. The Gamemakers, Tim included. He just kept on reading that piece of paper, over and over again. I get up and look over his shoulder... He knows I'm behind him, as he puts the paper back into the folder he had it in... I did notice it was a will of some kind.

"Who's will is that?" I ask.

"Nobody's... Has someone been eliminated yet?" he asked, changing the subject. I sit next to him and transfer my scoring terminal to my new seat.

"Nobody else yet, so far District 2 had 3 pinned down, and District 11 is trying to eliminate 4 and the Capitol, after they eliminated District 12. But going back to that paper. You keep reading it over and over again... I've never seen you obsessed this badly, even though I haven't known you for too long. What is going on Tim? You can tell us all anything that is troubling you. We're a team and we have to look out for each other. Tell me what's wrong..."

"As long as the conversation stays between us..." he said. "I'm not ready to tell everyone else."

"Of course..." I assure him, he has my word. No one will know until Tim is ready to spill the beans.

"Well yesterday I was called to Dr. Monroe's office. President Paylor delivered Snow's last will and testament to him, and in turn gave it to me. I found out that yesterday, that I'm Snow's oldest grandson, removed from the family. Plus I have reason to believe that Snow is trying to undermine the Memorial Games, and has been revived in a facility underneath the Memorial Games arena for this year."

"That is a bit crazy if you ask me."

"Well there is more, Monroe was in charge of making the Mutts in your first games. However he didn't use the bodies of the fallen tributes, he just injected their blood into wolf fetuses and grew them in a tank, in order to have them ready for the final three. He kept their bodies and the bodies of those who didn't become Mutts to revive them as well... Now Snow is going to manipulate those fallen tributes to raise an army to destroy Paylor's government and us as well. I know this sounds crazy but our tributes are going to walk into a trap."

"What did Monroe suggest we do?"

"He told me to wait till Snow makes draws first blood, then I am to go into the arena and fight back. To protect the tributes from being killed by a madman."

"You don't want us to help you?"

"You can only help me by staying out here and using Beetees new gift teleporter system to aid me in the arena. To aid all of the tributes in the arena. It's the only way we can survive in there with dangerous and powerful Mutts on the loose."

I knew that those wolf Mutts were dangerous, but to use new Mutts we have never seen before, is madness. I know that only Tim can expose Snow's plot and salvage the Memorial Games, as long as he can do everything in his power to protect those tributes while doing it.

After our talk Tim can concentrate more on the testing than the will of a madman...

District 3: Ekaterina Obata's POV

I'm pinned down with my partner behind the corner of a square. Using the wall as cover, I take a peek out and fire at Livia. My shot misses her, as she ducks back behind her cover. I finally get an idea, I roll out of my cover and fire rapidly. Hitting Tony in the chest and eliminating him, but before I can get up, Livia pops up and fires, eliminating me... Everything goes black for a few seconds, and I appear in a large room with only three other teleporter pads. The head scientist of the room walks over to check on me, but I merely throw up breakfast in response. The man named Beetee only tells his assistant to get the mop and bucket again. Which he relunctantly does... Poor guy... Having to clean up my vomit.

District 11: Riri Lorento's POV

Those Capitol tributes have pretty good aim. They already eliminated many districts from this private testing. And that Caligula kid just eliminated District 4, and Nick. I was alone from my District. I fire from my cover, and eliminate Caligula. Then I try to eliminate Dahlia, but get myself eliminated instead.

District 2: Livia Drusus's POV

Well instead of eliminating the other districts, which I just did, I aim my gun at Tony and shoot at him, eliminating him from competition. It is supposed to be a solo test after all... We just stayed with our partners for the hell of it. I make my way back to the starting point, the center of the gym. Where I run into Dahlia... We aim at each other, our fingers on the trigger.

"Go ahead..." I dare her. "You won't eliminate me..."

"Neither will you eliminate me!" she exclaims. We both are at at an stand off. Then we fire at the same time and we eliminate each other...

Katniss Everdeen's POV

"Whoa!" I exclaim as both Dahlia and Livia were eliminated at the same time. Haymitch promptly spat out his wine in a fine mist, in my face no less. The alcohol burns my eyes. I cry out as I try to clean my eyes out. Haymitch, luckily has a hankercheif handy for me to use to clean my eyes out. Which I do... But the important question is who is the last one standing. Everybody in the Gamemakers observation area, which is shielded from the tributes eyes by a one way mirror, pondered how to call it. That is until Tim got on his radio and asked Beetee who was teh first to arrive in the back room. When Beetee confirmed that it was Dahlia that appeared first, we declared Livia the last tribute standing, and gave her a good score for winning the tests. While we gave everyone a decent score. Then we discussed their final score, which depended on how long they lasted in the makeshift arena, and their overall performance. After much discussion... We inserted the individual final scores into our terminals, and left the observation area. Tonight they will all know their scores, and there is much hope that they will be happy about what they've each scored. Then tomorrow night are the interviews... Where they work on getting more sponsors.

Day of the Interviews...

District 3: Mace Carron's POV

It's the day we have to dress up again and then be interviewed for more sponsors. Hey sponsors bring in big money, and I for one would like to earn plenty of sponsors, and buy a better house for my family. But first I must go through the practice of proper manners and my angle. This is going to be fun... I was being sarcastic by the way...

District 2: Livia Drusus's POV

Yesterday... I got the highest score out of all of the tributes in the test results! YAY! Now today I practice walking in high heels, and my manners. I'm tired of doing this for so many hours on end. Plus when I get ready I have to have a lot more make up applied to my right eye area. As it's still black from when Dahlia punched me the other day in training. Pretty soon night comes quickly and I have to get into my interview gown, a red ball gown with red jewels. It's to show that District 2 means business in these games. Once I'm ready, I go to the elevator with Tony, who as usual looks like he's going to go on a killing spree. But we make it to City Circle for the interviews. Of course the new monument for all of the fallen tributes of the past were shown on holographic screens in the middle of a fountain, to remind of why we were here in the first place. We all take our seats and wait as Caeser Flickerman comes out after the opening of his show. He then interviews us girl and then boy. All the way down the line...

District 1: Zeker Kloesel's POV

I'm the second to be interviewed... My angle is simple... To kick ass and chew bubble gum, only I don't have any bubble gum. I answer all of Caeser's questions, until he asks me if I had anything else to say before my time was up.

"Yeah... My partner's name may be Goldsack, but I have this game in the bag!" Sadly it didn't go over real well, as everyone silenced themselves, except for the crickets chirping. The buzzer goes off and I sit back down to a few applauding, but most are still wondering what I'm on right now.

District 10: Lila Pancek's POV

My interview goes very well... I keep telling Caeser that I'm ready for anything... We even talk about the sheep that I take care of back home, and how I can talk to animals. this kind of makes Caeser look at me like I'm a lunatic...

"They really talk to me Caeser! They really do and I talk back to them!" My buzzer went off, and I sit back down in defeat. Caeser twirls his finger around his ear, he thinks I didn't see it but I did. Great... Now everybody will think I'm a total lunatic... Marx is next and he looks nervous as he does his interview. When his time was almost up, and Caeser asked him if he had anything to say to the people of Panem... He took his hat off and stared directly into the camera...

"I'm going to make a confession to all of Panem right now..." he said. He looked like he didn't want to confess anything, from paleness of his skin. "I'm gay... And I have my boyfriend at home. His name is Tobias, and I love him more than anything else in this world..."

I knew it... He's a homosexual... He's just sealed his fate in these games. No one will want to ally with him now. Especially not the guys... I hear Azrael make some rude comment before laughing hysterically aloud, and then I see August elbow him in the side angerly. He stops laughing and tends to his brusied side. Riri's was filled with anger and hatred for what happened to her sister, and she proclaimed that she will be on the winning team this year. She is going to rescue her family in her sister's memory. I can actually remember seeing poor Rue die two years ago, it was so tragic that someone so young as her had to die in that arena, why didn't anybody take her place like we do whenever a twelve year old is reaped? Riri sits down and the interviews go well... If you count Azrael's interview about him being the Angel of Death, and talking in third person, as well... But he finished up by saying that he is forsaken... I wonder what his problem is...?

Mr. Lansing takes the stage, after shaking hands with Caeser. Then he turns to us to address us all.

"Tributes... Since tomorrow you all begin your trek to the arena to honor the people that died in the Hunger Games and rebellion... I have set up a party on the roof of the training center. I expect you all to be there, and you may talk about whatever. Just get along and mingle with each other or his the dance floor. Your mentors will be present as well, and we await your arrival..."

With that he walks of stage and back into the training center. We didn't stick around, we all got up and made our way to the roof for the pre-games party.

Author's Comment: Next chapter is a short pre-games party chapter. And in the next chapter, two tributes will go the distance and score a home run. See who it is and which room they choose to do it...