District 1: Marco Von Erich's POV

"I bet it was those District 2 traitors," I sneer towards the top of the stairs. I turn to look at the pack and I am yet again disappointed at who I see. With 2 gone all I am left with are two girls and a pretty wimpy looking boy. I needed 2. But they will pay dearly for this.

"I don't think 2 is that stupid," Kantix comments. "Returning to the scene that we had just left? They knew we were close by. It couldn't have been them." I curl my hands into fists, but I restrain myself from punching the boy. I need the boy. At the moment he is my best ally even though he doesn't look it.

"You never know with 2," I tell the group. "They are probably up to something. You've all seen what the District breeds. That is why we need to get them before they get us. This year District 2 is not making it close to the final eight, got it?" Camille nods first and Bliss joins in after a few bobs. Kantix looks solemn and doesn't make any movement to show he agrees. "What?"

"I just don't know if that is a smart idea. In the past, District 2 usually kills off all the other Careers. They are more powerful than all of us combined. I think it is better if we just let someone else take care of it. Or they will take care of it. They don't seem to get along very well." Now this Kantix boy is in real danger of getting punched. If there is one thing I can't stand, it is people coming in the way of people who should be calling the shots.

"We need to take care of 2. If we leave them alone, they will take out anyone in their path up to us. We can't let the traitors get farther than the rest of us," I say through gritted teeth. I snatch one of the packs being gripped by one of the dead and sling it over my one empty soldier. "Come on, we need to get moving. Just because we don't have 2 doesn't mean we are not Careers."

I let Camille and Bliss go before me. They each tighten their packs and walk back towards the dining room we had been in before the people on the stairs made an appearance. As they disappear in the darkness, I listen to hear if I can hear their voices. I can't which means they can't hear this

I grab the back of Kantix's jacket and pull him back. I pick him up by his front collar with ease and pin him to one of the marble pillars. "You ever challenge my decisions again and I will assure you that you will be taking care of 2 single handedly. They are tougher than all of us combined right?" I release his collar and laugh silently while I watch him catch his breath.

"I got you," Kantix says. "Just don't get us killed." He walks slowly toward the dark dining room, limping almost. Baby. I clench my fist for a third time at his comment. That boy was in serious danger. Thinking I will get us killed. If anything it is his attitude and weak nature that will get us killed.

I take one more look upstairs to make sure no one was spying. I hear and see nothing. Finally, I secure the two packs on my back and head towards my team. District 2 is dead.

District 1: Bliss Honeycutt's POV

The dining room creaks as we make our way across. The boat rocks and feel the little breakfast I swallowed before the Games coming back up. A boat arena will not do well for me. I push through the sickness and half run to keep up with Camille though she is only walking at a leisurely pace. I soon feel Kantix's presence next to me. He seems to be limping and short of breath. One can only assume Marco is to blame. He will be the death of us.

I begin to take a good look at our surroundings. Besides dining chairs and tables made of expensive woods, there is a beautiful wooden floor for dancing. It is perfect for dancing actually. I can imagine finely dressed men and women waltzing across it. Not Capitol people or District people, but people from before our time, people who could enjoy the dancing without their being some catch like a vicious game. The dance floor deserves to be somewhere far better. Besides, we have no time for dancing.

All my thoughts of the ballroom and dancing distract me and I bang my foot against one of the lavish chairs. I bite down hard on my lip, enough to draw blood. I feel Kantix's hand on the crook of my elbow to help me balance. Camille turns around and makes a face at me. "Do you want to let everyone know where we are?"

I hear the first sign of Marco, a small chuckle. It took him long enough to join us. I rub my foot and begin to realize how itchy it is. Probably just another symptom of the…

"…cancer."

I practically choke on my own salvia as the doctor tells me the news. I grip the sides of my chair and try to control my now violent coughing. This can't be happening. I am only sixteen and I have cancer. I knew I was sick, but not this sick. How could this have happened?

"Shall I continue?" the doctor asks when my coughing subsides. I nod, but I don't know if I really want to hear it. "You have Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I'm not surprised you haven't noticed. The cancer causes painless swelling in you lymph nodes and in your case it is in your stomach. Did you think you were pregnant at any time?"

I shake my head, but it is a total lie. I had taken a pregnancy test about a month ago, but it was negative. I thought I was just having horrible cramps. It was cancer this whole time?

"Unfortunately, we have caught it very late. The swelling has already begun to put pressure on your intestines. We can do treatment if you can afford it, but you might not make it through that. You only have about a year to live."

I walk out of that office in total shock. I am sixteen. I have cancer. I have only a year to live and that is with treatment. I am going to be in the ground in a year. I can no longer deny this isn't happening to me.

A little light bulb goes off in my head. I will ignore this until the Hunger Games come. Then I will volunteer. I will die about a month or two after anyhow. Why let another innocent girl die when my life is as good as gone? I smile at my perfectly thought out plan.

As I push the cancer out of my mind, another thing dawns on me. I was supposed to be at Marco's house making a homemade dinner for his birthday. With the cancer far from my mind, I race to house as fast as I can. I make it there with at least an hour and a half to cook.

It is only when I get started that I hear giggling coming from upstairs. Marco was supposed to be out with friends celebrating his sixteenth. I tip-toe upstairs and move toward Marco's room. The giggling and chuckling only gets louder. I push the door open slowly and gape the minute I see the sight before me.

Marco and Silk Brimmington. My Marco and Silk Brimmington. And they don't even notice me. Before I can stop myself I blurt, "What the hell?"

Marco looks up at me, his once pretty face turning uglier and uglier to me. "It's over love. You knew you weren't the first; did you really think you'd be the last?"

I want to punch, kill him even. But I can't. Instead, I bolt out of his house with tears running down my cheeks. Leave it to Marco von Erich to make cancer seem not that bad.

"Are you okay, love?" Marco asks. I snap up immediately and narrow my eyes at him. The flashback reminded me how much I hate him. How could I be so stupid during training? At least I didn't let it get out of hand. "Do you need help?" He brushes Kantix's hand aside and tries to take my hand. I slap it away and push past Camille.

I have a new plan, one I will plan clearly later. Whatever happens, Marco von Erich is making it out of these Games in a coffin.

…

The Careers aren't looking too good. Next up is Anna and Ben.

Capitol Question of the Day: Who do you think has the best chance of making it out of the Career pack alive?

Reviews are appreciated. Peace, Love, and All That Jazz.
-Emma