5 Months Later... The Reaping of the 72nd Hunger Games
I stood on stage, glaring down at the massed children. What a pitiful hoard of people. Some were blonde, but most had dark hair and gray eyes. I could feel their eyes staring at me. I was an enemy, but for two, I would become their greatest ally.
"Welcome welcome!" Effie Trinket smiled after the video. Haymitch was snoring in a chair with a flask in hand. "Welcome to the drawing for the 72nd Hunger Games! Now, ladies first." She anounced and walked over to the big glass bowl on her left. Dipping a pink gloved hand into the bowl, she plucked a single slip of paper from it. I knew all of the girls were holding their breaths.
"Our female tribute for District 12 is..." She unfolded the paper. "Haylie Greenwell! Where are you Haylie?" A sob erupted from the girls' side and the crowd parted. A little girl with brown hair tied back timidly stepped forward, crying. She wiped her eyes and took Effie's hand. I smirked, at least the girl would not have to enter the arena. Someone else would vol-
No, Cato. There hasn't ever been a volunteer in District 12. They just let the little ones die.
I raised an eyebrow and nodded. If that was their method of doing things, so be it.
"Now, how old are you, Haylie?" Effie bubbled and the girl sniffled.
"I'm thirteen."
Oh, she won't stand a chance.
I maintained my grim expression and Effie stepped over to the boys' bowl while Haylie cried.
"Our male tribute for District 12 is... Warren Pental!"
"No!" A boy yelled and the mass of boys parted around him. Warren was a tall gangly boy with dark brown hair. Both tributes were from the Seam. He stepped forward and shakily took Effie's hand.
"How old are you?" She asked, smiling.
"Seventeen." He whispered and I nodded. He looked fast, and that would prove an advantage against some, but he was weak. You could tell just by looking at him. Frail bones, slumped posture, I had little hope.
You know he's going to die. Don't expect for him to come out.
I knew my he was right. Tarquin was the male tribute for District 2 this year, and although he was stupid, he knew how to wield a sword and spear with deadly precision. The girl, Celia, was good with a bow and arrow, but she was almost as stupid as Tarquin. Stupid they may be, but they were fighters.
"Well, let's have a hand for our Tributes and Mentors!" Effie smiled and the silence followed. Effie sniffed and began ushering the tributes into the Justice Building. I nudged Haymitch with my foot.
"Haymtch." He muttered something unintelligible and I kicked him more forcefully. "Haymitch! Let's go."
"Wha-? Oh, has the Reaping ended?" He asked, groggily standing up.
Leave him.
I glared and entered the Justice Building alone while he bumbled around looking for the open double doors.
I boarded the train and sat in the dining car, drinking coffee. The door opened and Effie Trinket stepped in.
"Oh, hello! I don't believe we've formally met! I'm Effie Trinket, Escort for District 12." She held her hand out and I shook it.
"Cato Arckenson, Victor of District 2. I'm mentoring here; President's orders. It's nice to meet you, miss." I murmured and she smiled.
"Well, you have the nicest manners I have ever seen! Haymitch stays drunk most of the time." She nodded and plucked grapes from the fruit bowl. I noticed her canines had diamonds encrusted into them.
"Thank you." I said and continued to drink my coffee. The door reopened and the boy and girl walked in. They eyed me nervously, but sat down and their eyes grew wide at the food.
"Well I do believe it is lunch time, so let's eat, shall we?" Effie anounced and began adding bread and vegetables to her plate. I took potatoes and meat. The boy and girl began loading their plates with as much as they could and ate as quickly as possible. I raised and eyebrow as they shovelled food into their mouths with their hands. Effie mad a disgusted noise.
"Please use a fork and knife!" She exclaimed, but the two did not listen.
Ah, the perks of being reaped in District 12. You eat to an early death.
I scoffed and stabbed a slice of pork with my fork.
"Leave them be, Effie. Might as well eat before they die." I said and the two looked up, gravy coating the areas around their mouths and fingers.
"Wh-what?" The girl asked in a shaky voice. I quizically raised the other eyebrow.
"Don't you know what happens in the Hunger Gamers? Only one comes out alive, and right now, you're not looking to hot. Though, you could tip those scales to your favor." I told her and her eyes began brimming with tears. "Don't cry." I snapped and Effie sighed.
"Please wipe your mouth and use a fork and knife." She murmured and the two obeyed without a question. The door opened and Haymitch stumbled in.
"Wha'd I miss?" He asked and I looked at the tributes.
Oh, only Cato yelling at a helpless little girl who will die in a few days. There's also a boy only a year younger than him, but you know, they're both pretty hopeless.
"Say hello to the drunk. He will be your other mentor." I anounced. The girl chewed on her lip while the boy continued to eat.
"Ah, the new tributes! So, you got any talents?" He sat down and stood up again. "Can I get you some port, Monster Boy?" He asked and I nodded. Effie gave a squeak of annoyance.
"Although I don't approve of drinking before 10:00, I will have a glass as well." Haymitch raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"You want some, kids? Might as well try some before you can't." he shrugged and the boy accepted. Haymitch passed glasses around and sat down. "So, any of you got any skills? Weightlifting, running, knives, big sticks..." Both shook their heads. I nodded. "If you can, when in the arena, ask one of the attendants to show you how to throw a knife. Focus on survival stations too." He nodded and rolled my eyes.
"I can teach you how to throw a knife here and now." I took the carving knife from the pork and wiped the blade.
"Cato, please-" Effie started, but I threw the knife and wedged it deep into the beamings of the wood panneling. "that's... mahogany." She whimpered. I unstuck the knife and showed it to them.
"Hold it by the blade and throw it like you're throwing a ball, but aim and try to kill someone." I instructed and Warren nodded. Haylie looked green.
"You're from District 2, right?" She asked timidly and I nodded.
"Yes."
"Well, how did you train in District 2?" She asked.
Ooh good question.
"I began when I was seven. I was trained in knives, spears, swords, archery, and hand to hand combat. Every morning and night, for nine years, I trained more than my classmates. I was chosen to volunteer and so I did, and I won last year." I told her. She nodded and looked down.
"You killed Peeta's brother." she said and I scoffed.
"Was that the last one I killed?" She nodded. "Then yes, I did." I nonchalantly stated and her face looked greener. "We will be arriving in the Capitol in one day. You can do whatever you want until then, but don't lose you minds." I ordered and they nodded, continuing to eat.
After we finished eating, I went to the lounge car and laid on a couch. I put a book on my face and pretended to sleep.
So, who do you think will die first? The boy or the girl?
Depends on who's stupid enough to enter the bloodbath. I think the girl will die first. Neither will win this year.
But you're going to help them. That's the least you could do for their district.
Why? I guess I could help them... I groaned and shook my head. Why was this so complicated? I wished I was with Juna. She would have smiled and tried to braid my hair or something. I could feel my stomach grumbling. How long had it been?
"Boy! Where is he?! Damn it, Cato! Where the hell are you?!" Haymitch threw the door open. I could feel him coming towards me and rip the book off of my face. "Get up, we've arrived, and you're late for dinner." I sat up.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Bout 20 hours if I can do my math right, but I can't, so don't trust me." He grumbled and I followed Haymitch into the dining car. Haylie and Warren looked up at me and Effie beamed.
"Well, now that we're all together, I have a schedule we can keep to. Haylie, Warren," She addressed the two. "You two will be going to the Remake Center and goodness knows how long that will take. No worries, though, you will be beautiful in a matter of hours." She looked at me. I looked at Haymitch. He cleared his throat.
"Whatever the idiots in the Remake Center do to you, don't oppose. They're under strict orders not to alter you at all. Anyone caught doing so will have their wages cut by three-fourths." Haymitch raised his eyebrows and the two nod.
Ooh, just wait for the shots.
I loaded a plate while he was talking. Some greens, potatoes, meat, and bread. As I ate, I wondered what their tokens were.
"What are your tokens?" I asked and the girl pulled a ball out of her hands. It was wooden and had names on it. Warren brought out a slip of paper. A love letter. I nodded my assent and they stowed their tokens away.
~'~'~'~
When my hopeless tributes were in the Remake Center, I was bombarded with cameras while I tried to find Father's house. After twenty minutes of searching, I got annoyed with the camera people and returned to the Tribute Center.
Slamming the door open I scared Haymitch who was flipping through channels on the TV.
"Damn you, boy! You're gonna give me a heart attack!"
"Turn on the Reapings. I want to see what we're up against." I growled and Haymitch opened a menu with the glass tablet. He tapped the button labeled 'REAPINGS' and District 1 appeared.
The boy was a hulking mass of muscle. The girl was dark haired and she seemed to analyze everything.
"Luxe Greene and Vanity Smith!"
District 2. Tarquin and Celia, both seventeen, and both ready to win. Too bad Celia didn't know the difference between blackberries and grapes. Tarquin had accidently put peroxide in his water instead of iodine during training. What on Earth compelled the Trainers to choose these bumbling idiots for the Games?
District 3. Nobodies.
District 4. A small boy but moderately muscled girl.
I barely paid attention to the rest. District 7 had a snivelling little girl, what was her name? Johanna something-or-the-other. The rest were under my line of sight. All thin, underfed, sniffling wrecks. The Games would be boring this year, so the arena would most likely be very special.
Well, it looks like Tarquin might win.
I know. It looked like the biggest idiot in the world was going to become famous. I turned the screen off after District 11 and Haymitch guffawed.
"We're screwed." He laughed and took a swig. I looked at him and rolled my eyes.
"You need to get a grip. The Chariot Rides will begin, get dressed." The door opened and a man in stilletto's with blue makeup stepped in.
"Hello! I am Callig Ula! I am the stylist for District 12!" He smiled and his eyes widened at me. "Enobaria's nephew! You won last year!" He exclaimed and Haymitch coughed.
"Monster Boy, meet Weirdo. He dresses the tributes." Callig nodded eagerly.
Too eager. I don't like him.
"I have big big plans for this year. This district will shine! Now, I must see to them. Would you like to come?" He asked me and Haymitch answered for me.
"He would love to. Go check on the tributes, Cato." I glared at him and followed the crazy man out the door.
The Remake center had not changed in the 335 days I was not present from it. Polished white walls, the smell of hairspray, and 24 naked tributes in 24 stalls being stripped of whatever dignity they possessed. Callig lead me to a glass balcony where other Mentors were having drinks and chatting while they oversaw their prep teams "prettify" their Tributes. I was handed an earpiece and tablet to oversee my Tributes.
Well, apparently Brutus and Enobaria watched you get lasered. Ew.
"Cato!" A deep voice called and I looked up from the window. Harsk nodded towards me and Enobaria raised an eyebrow. I walked over to them and greeted them.
"Harsk, Enobaria." She grinned and looked at Harsk.
"Cato, I'd like you to meet Silk and Mace. Mentors for District 1." I shook a man and woman's hand.
"So you're the beautiful boy from 2? I must say, your performance in the arena was magnificent. Too bad President Snow sent you to 12. Our tributes could have been allies." Silk was a nice woman made of pure muscle. Mace was a man shorter than me and with less muscle, but a very strong handshake.
Or District 2's tributes could have gutted yours and burned their remains.
"Yes, it's a shame isn't it?" I answered. She smiled and looked at the Tributes below and tapped on her earpiece.
"She doesn't need fake eyelashes. Just go with permanent mascara or something. Don't implant or gel them." She spoke and her tablet buzzed with a reply. Enobaria turned to me.
"You know, Harsk and I are having Domitius and Juna over for dinner. You should come." She said and I smiled.
"Sure." I watched as the Tributes were waxed, polished, buffed, and cleaned. They ran lasers over the boys' faces to remove all traces of facial hair for five weeks. I knew from experience that it was not completely painless.
Then, four doctors entered with a cart of syringes. Everyone would get an injection. It was a serum that made them infertile for one year. Because everyone was over or twelve years old, everyone got the injection. It prevented anyone from conceiving, getting a cycle, or being able to produce a child for one year. This was kept completely secret from the citizens of the Capitol and Districts. Even the President's highest advisors barely knew anything about what was going on in the Remake Center.
Let's face it, you know some kids want to get some before they die.
That part was true. I watched as all of the tributes minus the Careers fought back as the doctors injected the clear (boys) or opaque (girls) serum under their navel. The other Mentors watched in the background while I stood with Enobaria. One girl looked up and spotted me. Her eyes widened and she tried to cover her naked form. I shifted my gaze to glare at something else.
After my victory, the President had me made infertile for another two years so I could be sold off to the highest bidder.
~'~'~'~
Dinner was fairly fun. Juna and Enobaria talked about fashion while I spoke with Father and Harsk about the upcoming games.
"I feel like 1 or 2 wil come out victorious again." Harsk said and we agreed. They were the only ones that stood a chance. Juna had her hair in a tight bun and had a pink ribbon swirling in it. She smiled at me and I grinned at her.
You seem to be very happy around your sister.
Well, duh. She is my sister.
"I was not allowed to design any weapons for these games." Father spoke and I looked at him. "They decided to spice things up a bit. I don't know what kind of weapons will be at the Cornucopia." He stated and Enobaria looked our way.
"What if there aren't any weapons? That means our district might have an extra large advantage. Oops, sorry Cato." She shrugged and I rolled my eyes.
No weapons means no blood. There will be weapons, Cato. Now it depends on what kind of weapons.