Chapter 25

Rose Tyler's POV (Capitol)

It's just the middle to outlying districts now. 7-12. I'm highly anticipating all this; given the frankly remarkable scores we've just witnessed. They've all been good, and if not good, surprising.

"So I present to you the scores of our District 7 tributes; Clarisse la Rue, and Hook Captain!" Caesar announces, and the screen behind him changes. I stare at Hook for a moment, wondering why he's called that. I mean… He wasn't born with a hook hand, so either he changed his name, or his parents were really morbidly hopeful. He won't be allowed that in the arena either, so I really hope that's not what his scores are based on. Clarisse looks mean as always, glaring straight at me through the screen.

"These guys look good." Martha murmurs and I nod.

"I know. Although 7 is usually pretty good for the middle districts."

Caesar is smiling down at his notecards.

"Hook Captain… With a score of…" We both lean forwards, my pen poised over paper. "8!" He announces and I scrawl it down.

"That's good." Martha murmurs and I nod.

"Yep. Although… The hook thing."

"I know. He's not one I'd bet on, just in case."

"And Clarisse la Rue…" Caesar begins dramatically. The screen concentrates solely on the glaring, brutish, brunette from seven and I know her score before Caesar even says it.

"10!" He announces.

"I'm not surprised." I remark and Martha nods.

"They all look like they've been training. I mean… come on. There's no way the District 6 kids would be able to get such high scores, and District 7, for that matter." She says, suspiciously.

"Do you care though?" I ask her, sceptically. "It'll make it more interesting."

"You seem plenty interested already." She points out, motioning loosely to my notebook. Blushing, I turn back to the screen, where the graphics are changing to show the tributes from 8.

"Sam Temple from District 8 earns himself a score of… 8!" Announces Caesar and Martha laughs shortly.

"Seriously? There's no way they haven't been training. The district 1 girl got 8. That's bordering on a career score." She points out and I sigh.

What happens if everyone gets scores like this? Would the games go on longer because everyone was so evenly matched? A lot of tributes tend to lose their nerve in the arena; the pressure, the fear, all of it getting to them, so maybe it'll be relatively normal for the games.

"Hermione Granger receives a score of… 6!" Calls Caesar and I nod. This is a more average score. Rumours have been going around about the alliances, and I've heard whispering of a large mixed alliance that's large than the career's. Apparently it's got Sam and Hermione in it, so this could be very, very interesting considering the scores the middle districts have received.

"What did you show them?" Sam asks me, and I sit back in my chair.

"I did the plant tests and the snares." I answer, truthfully.

"You should've gone for the offensive stations." He chides and I roll my eyes.

"What, like every other tribute there? No thank you." I laugh. "What about you?"

"The axes."

"Well, that wouldn't have worked for me. In case you hadn't already noticed, intelligence is where I... excel." I point out and Sam sighs.

"It's not what the capitol values." He mutters and I glare.

"Screw what the capitol values." I retort and Sam looks up at me and then around the room.

"Shhh." He scolds. I know the room is bugged, but I couldn't care less. They've already given me a boring score; there's not a lot else that can go wrong.

"They can listen all they want, Sam." I grumble, closing my eyes. "Besides, our scores don't matter too much. We have the alliance."

"Alliances are temporary." He points out. I want to agree with him, because they are, and because there's no way we're both getting out alive. Nothing we arrange before the games, and nothing we do in the arena matters if it benefits us both, so in the end the alliance will just be a deterrent for the inevitable. I want to agree with him, because it's the right thing to do, and because he's completely correct. But whilst I don't care if the capitol hears me slate them, I don't want them to hear me give up. So I simply open my eyes, stare up at the ceiling, and do my best to sound convinced.

"Alliances are better than nothing."

"And now for District 9!" Caesar calls and the screen ripples to show the faces of John and Guinevere. It's that same look of resilience again; the resilience I was so surprised to see amongst the middle to outer districts at the reaping. John looks a lot steadier than Guinevere, but they're both staring solidly at the camera, and it reminds me, weirdly, of school. We were all taught that the outer districts are the poorest, because they were the ones who took longest to defeat in the rebellion. They were the ones who backed down last. The ones who suffered most.

Looking at John and Guinevere, it's not hard to tell that they're born and bred District 9 tributes.

"John Watson earns a score of… 5!" Caesar reads off his card and I sigh. It must be his leg.

District 9 kids start working early, so generally there's a lot of strength among the older tributes, and he is one; although I bet his limp isn't helping much. I don't know what he'll do in the arena, because I'm pretty sure the cane can be used as a weapon. It's not as dubious as a hook, but all the same…

"Guinevere Pendragon… A score of 6!" Caesar announces, and I look pointedly at Martha.

"That's a normal score, right?" I ask her and she nods.

"Maybe they didn't all train." She murmurs and I write down the scores for district 9 down.

"Crap." I mutter and Gwen sighs.

"They aren't that bad." She sooths, gently.

"No. They are. They're not low and noticeably interesting. They're not high enough to get us sponsors." I reply shortly. "They're mediocre. That's the worst possible thing they could be."

"You think a low score is better than a mediocre one?" Asks our mentor, Four, coldly. I nod.

"A low score is at least a little interesting. People want to know how that weakness might improve in the games. Low scores show room for… I don't know, improvement. Scores like 5 are forgotten. No one cares." I tell him and he scowls.

"You don't think there's interest in the mediocre?" he asks me and I shake my head. Gwen is watching the two of us, interested but clearly slightly scared.

"You do realise how easily talents can be played down, don't you?" He asks me, and I clench my jaw, thinking of my leg.

"Talents and qualities are sometimes things that smart tributes will play down to a forgettable level." Four tells us. "Imagine a tribute from say… District 3." He says and looks at me, his eyes narrowing. He must know about Sherlock and me. "Is very skilled with the bow. Rather than let the other tributes know he was a threat, he decides to botch it up in front of the Gamemakers. Surprise surprise, he gets a low, or average, score. He's nothing but a fly to swat in the eyes of the careers. And then, when the games begin, he gets hold of a bow. No one yet knows he's a threat, which gives him the advantage because they won't think to look for him." Four says, staring straight at me.

"So?" I ask. Four clenches his jaw.

"So, forgettable is the best strategy you've got going for you." He replies, coldly. "Forgettable is genius."

HELLO! THIS TOOK A WHILE BUT I UPDATED!

Sorry it's been a while, we just got back to school and there has been A LOT of work, but I am going to try and keep this going. A massive thanks to all of you who are following and those who have favourited this. Remember to review! What did you think of this chapter? were the POV's accurate? Were the scores accurate? Please let me know what you thought.

Thank you so very very very much for reading, and please stay excellent,

Lucy XXX