Chapter 20: "From Hacking to Whacking"


July 7

Tahiti Medical Wing


This year, the byword for the Tahiti medical personnel was quantity.

Because it was the last year, Fury had pulled far more of his favorite picks for the pull of tributes rather than spreading them out across the years, which meant there was pressure to bring a much higher percentage of them back.

Not to mention the surprises that were the Braddocks, who Fury had quickly added to his list after seeing not only their ability to fight but the passion which with they fought for each other. Which was all well and good for the people ordering the resurrections, but for the doctors and technicians who actually had to pull off this miracle, it was another story entirely.

For one thing, that was two extra people that they would need supplies for, and it wasn't like America had been kind about what she did to Brian Braddock — neither had Kilgrave and Nefaria been kind to Jessica Jones. And for every harsh death, there was just that much more material being used.

So for the time being, they were simply putting the worse cases in stasis. For anything more complicated than a simple stabbing or broken neck, they were waiting for confirmation that the living Tahiti operatives had secured more vibranium before they even touched it. Otherwise, they would have to start making judgement calls based on how badly the kids were injured — and how badly Fury wanted them on the team.

Essex had returned from wherever Fury had been keeping him, though he was confined only to the medical areas so that he could help with the Tahiti process itself, nothing more. But even with those stipulations, he had swept into the Tahiti medical wing as if he still ran the place — and to the chagrin of most of those working there, the problem was, he had been doing this for so long that they actually needed him.

"This is going to be a messy cleanup," Simmons remarked to Claire Temple as the two of them looked over Brian Braddock, and Claire just nodded her quiet agreement before moving on to another Tahiti candidate from the bloodbath, Jessica Jones. Multiple stab wounds, but actually, she would be relatively straightforward, compared to most of the cases they were used to handling.

"This one's an easy fix, though," Cecilia said from where she was already prepping the youngest tribute from this year's Games. A simple broken neck wouldn't take too much of their resources, so they could go ahead and get started on her.

"When are the kids expected to get back with the rest of the supplies? I can't start making any plans until I know just how much we've got to budget for," Claire asked with a little frown.

"As I understand it, they should be back any time now," Hank said as he double-checked the equipment Claire was already prepping.

"Then let's get started on this one. We can put the others on hold for a few hours if we need to, but I'm not going to put everyone in cryogenesis while we wait if we can help it."


July 7

District Eleven


Actually, the Tahiti kids had left that morning for District Eleven, headed for the vibranium mines with Luke leading the way, since he had actually worked there before his Games.

Of course, most of the country wasn't paying any attention to the day-to-day things like security, not when the bloodbath was getting started right about the same time as the kids landed in Eleven, and the distraction was exactly what they needed. The plan was to get in, get out, and get back as fast as they could — with as much as they could without getting caught.

As for how not to get caught, well, Luke was sure he could point out where to collapse the tunnels so that the areas of the mines they were stealing from would be blocked off after they left anyway — they just had to make sure no civilians got caught in the blast or the cave-in.

Tony had built them something that would help them get out fast, too, a way to carry the ore they needed without getting too weighed down — and while Luke was leading the way in, Kate and Kurt were in charge of Tony's latest invention.

It was powered by what he called repulsor technology, something he had been working on since the Games. It was a year in the making and still in the prototype stages, but for something as simple as a cart? He felt confident that it would work just fine. All they had to do was put the repulsors on the bottom of the nearest mine cart, and it would hover. They could cover any ground that way, he assured them, so that they wouldn't be slowed down having to drag their ill-gotten goods.

But on the off chance that didn't work, they had four people on the team — including Wade, who was watching their backs, so they could always just leg it.

They got in easily enough — the first day of the Games meant the most distraction, not to mention Luke was sure the paths he was taking them down were the least used — and to both Kate and Kurt's surprise, the mine cart did, in fact, hover off the ground once they got Tony's gadgets installed. So thus far, their first Games mission during the actual Games was going pretty well.

"Alright, so — now what?" Kate asked.

"Cart the cart, Kart," Wade whispered.

Kate and Kurt glanced at each other and then at Wade before Kate just started to laugh. "How long have you been sitting on that one?" she asked, even as Kurt whispered 'don't encourage him' in her ear.

"For. Ever," Wade replied with a grin visible even behind the mask. "Don't worry, little birdie, I've got your back."

"Of course you have," Kurt said dryly.

"Just follow my lead," Luke cut in before the conversation could get out of hand. "We still have to actually get the stuff, and you're going to want to be careful with it. It's unstable when it's raw." To illustrate his caution, he showed the other three the vein of vibranium and very carefully removed some of it from the walls of the mine. He eyed the repulsors for a moment, but, for now, it seemed they were just fine to transport.

"I like the color," Kate whispered over Kurt's shoulder as they followed Luke's lead, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course you do."

She giggled and carefully placed the pink-purple ore in the mine cart as the four Tahiti kids moved quickly through the mine, gathering what they could until the cart was full. But — as Tony had promised — it was easy to push, and Kate and Kurt were both grateful for it when the mine sloped uphill and they didn't have to get an actual mine cart up the gradient.

The fifth member of their group wasn't a Tahiti operative, technically, but was Skye — and she was handling the work with the rebels, so she wasn't even in the mines with them. Nobody got into the mines that wasn't cleared either by Sentinels or rebels, depending on which entrance they used, and Skye had been sent with a coded message from Coulson that, somehow, had opened the right doors for the group. But she stayed outside the mines with the rebel group, both for surveillance and because Coulson had a secondary mission for her in trying to shore up stronger support in Eleven for their cause.

So, Skye had been chatting with the rebels for about the last hour when, at last, the other four showed up with the full mine cart, and she grinned. "About time," she called their way.

"What, were you in a hurry or something? Got somewhere to be?" Kate called back.

"Hot date, right?" she teased right back. "Gotta get a move on!"

"We'll double when we get back," Kate laughed, though they'd hardly gotten out of the mine all the way, with Wade bringing up the rear, when they heard the unmistakable sound of rifles cocking and a Sentinel's voice telling everyone to "halt."

"Oh, crap!" Skye whispered just before the whole group simply started to run, with the rebels covering their retreat.

The sound of gunfire rang out over their heads, and Luke got a face full of rock when part of the rocky mine entrance blew to bits right beside him, the shot missing him by inches before he looked over his shoulder in time to tell the other three "down" a second before the shots rang out.

It was enough warning that no one was hit, except for one shot Wade took in the armor that he said he'd walk off no problem — but the cart had taken most of the hits intended for the kids, and it listed dangerous to one side before spilling over entirely.

"Aww, cart, no," Kate muttered under her breath.

"Kart! The cart!" Wade said in a harsh whisper. "For shame! You have shirked your duties!"

"Yeah, I'm real sorry I didn't get shot," Kate said, rolling her eyes his way — even if he couldn't see it — as she and Kurt both rushed to salvage what they could of the spilled ore, though with shots ringing out over their heads and with the fact that it was already unstable from all the jostling ... it wasn't going fast enough. Clearly.

Luke got there in a rush and simply held up that half of the cart. "Get what you can — we can come back if we have to. Your lunatic friend can't hold them off forever." As if to illustrate Luke's point, they could hear Wade yelling a few choice words at some of the Sentinels he was fighting.

"He thinks he's bulletproof," Kate whispered to Luke as she tipped several handfuls of ore into the cart, and almost on cue, Wade started to cackle as a few shots from the Sentinels went wide, calling out something about 'Stormtroopers.'

But when the sheer rock face above their heads started to crack and dust and dirt rained down on them, Luke decided their escape route wasn't going to hold up any longer. "That's it — we're leaving now," he said, pushing Skye ahead of him first to get her toward the plane, since she had the least experience being shot at out of all of them.

"We don't have the full load," Skye objected, looking as if one piece left behind was a failure at the highest levels.

"We're not going to have anything if this tunnel comes down on us," Luke explained, still pushing her ahead. "And I don't think you want to find out what the other side of Tahiti feels like — if they can even dig us out when it collapses."

"In other words — get moving," Kate chimed in, pushing the cart with her shoulder to get it through the tunnel as more dirt and debris rained down around them.

It was a near thing, too — the five of them had only just come out into the clearing where Ororo was waiting to pick them up when they heard the loud rumbling of a collapse further back in the tunnels.

Luke frowned as he glanced over his shoulder. "That's not going to be usable again. When we come back, we'll need another way," he opined as he and Wade helped the others lift the cart into the plane.

"What happened back there?" Ororo asked, her eyebrows scrunched in obvious concern as she took in their dirt-caked faces, as well as the few bullets Wade had decided to collect while covering their retreat.

"We got caught," Skye said with a sullen expression on her face.

"They tried to collapse the tunnel on us, but we got out," Luke assured Ororo as he slid up into copilot with her. "But we need to get out of here before they decide to follow us."

"Gently, please," Kurt called up as he and Kate finished securing the cart. "We've lost enough of this as it is."

"You didn't get it all?"

"We were being shot at," Kate said as if that was explanation enough — and it really was.

"Well, let's hope the brainiacs can work their magic with what we've got," Wade said.

"You guys did really well, actually," Skye said, trying to reassure them, even though she was disappointed at missing out on a full haul. "If the heat's too high, they have other teams they can send in. Ones that won't bring down all the world if you guys get hurt."

"You mean we did well," Kurt corrected her. "You fit in well with our little group of misfits."

"I'll skip the usual welcome package, though, thanks," she teased lightly, and Wade nodded a few more times than was necessary at that, muttering about 'angering the hairy one.'

Thankfully, it looked like no one had noticed their takeoff, and they weren't being followed. So the rest of the flight was uneventful, almost relaxing even, since Eleven was one of the further districts from their base of operations. They had a long enough flight to come down from the adrenaline high of the fight, and of course, for Kate and Kurt to move on from the mission to flirting, snuggled up in their own little corner and just giggling to each other as they chatted, the masks removed now that they were in the air.

Not that anyone was surprised.

"So, this is a far cry from your usual hacking classes, Miss Teacher Lady," Wade said as he leaned toward Skye. "Or did I miss the part where we went from hacking to whacking?"

"I've been training and learning, just like you guys have," Skye said with a little shrug. "I mean, when you're on Coulson's team, you don't stand still."

"Yeah, but … if it was common, we'd see Fitzsimmons out here right? Taking down bad guys at every turn, doing the field agent badass representation." Wade grinned, pulling a heroic pose. "I'd like to see that, actually."

"I think Simmons could do it," Skye admitted. "But that would mean leaving Fitz in the lab."

"My money's on Fitz," Wade said with a nod. "Give that guy a gun, and no one on the other side will be safe."

"No one on our side would be safe either," Skye laughed.

"I'll bet he could single-handedly end the whole fiasco given the chance," Wade said.

"Well…" Skye paused and seemed to consider something. "I guess that depends on where Simmons is."

"See? That's the key. Put her on the other side of the field and just let him loose."

"You're a real romantic," she laughed. "Is that how you wooed Cassie?"

He let out a scandalized gasp and let his mouth drop open, one hand over his heart as he glanced between her and Luke. "I … have done no such thing! Sweet Cassielang cannot be wooed."

"Uh-huh." Skye grinned that much wider when she saw that Luke was watching and listening in on their conversation now. "So you're not serious?"

Wade grinned and let out a long, drawn out, groaning sort of sigh. "A-anyways, enough about me ...What about you? What are you up to .. hot date and all?"

"That — that was just banter," Skye admitted.

"Shu-ure it was," he said with a heavy chuckle. "That's what they all say when they're hiding things. What's the story, mornin' glory?"

"The story?" Skye shrugged up both her shoulders. "The usual for a field agent, I guess. Work got in the way," she said sullenly.

"So it's someone on your team, huh?" he said as he bumped her shoulder. "Romance in the trenches. That's my kind of girl. Gunfire to set the mood ... Who is it? Is it Fitz? Simmons? Coulson? Who?" He gasped again and covered his mouth. "Is it May?"

"First of all, I am not coming between Fitz and Simmons," Skye said, shaking her head. "Let's get that straight."

"That's a smart move. He'd take you down."

"He would not; I'm field agent certified, and I've got a really good teacher. Or… I had one anyway," she corrected herself quickly. "He's kinda ticked off at me right now."

"Yeah, well … too bad for him, seeing as I'm ninety-eight percent sure that SHIELD teachers can't drop you just because you made them mad. Rules and structure and things that sound like Coulson would approve of them. You know the whole … impressively organized thing has to extend to trainers too."

"Well, he wasn't my official teacher, just …" Skye held her breath for a moment, her lips parted as she tried to find a way to explain it and not sound like a troublemaker, or to tip them off on what she was thinking. "My old SO was a jerk, so this guy stepped in to help show me the ropes. That's all," Skye tried to explain. "I've got May now, and she's been teaching me too ... but…" She trailed off and waved her hand. "It really... doesn't matter. Work drama."

"Awwwwww. Sounds like you miss your 'teacher'," Wade said before he put his arm around her and gave her a side hug. "It's okay. I can take care of you in the meantime. Come by the lounge later. Cassielang and I are going to watch a movie and throw popcorn all over the place."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm actually going to try and catch some sleep. Games are really busy for my team right now — not necessarily this one," Skye admitted, though she didn't look happy about it. "And believe me, I'd rather it was just this team. The other one involves schmoozing losers and politicians, and that can be worse than being shot at." She paused. "Almost. If not for the hors d'oeuvres and champagne that is."

"What the heck are you doing that for?" Wade asked.

"Well, I wasn't doing it last year, but apparently my 'people skills' are good, which I think is Coulson code for he wants to have backup at the parties May doesn't want to go to." She made a horrible face. "If I didn't love the guy, I'd punch him the next time he showed me a Capitol invitation letter. But he might fire me, and I actually don't hate this job, when it's not, you know, Games stuff."

"So …. What kind of things do Capitol invitations get you into?" Wade asked as he tried and failed at kicking his feet like a schoolgirl.

Skye paused for just a moment before she allowed her smile to fall into something a little more troublemaking. "Well, that's the important part, isn't it? I've been in the same room as pretty much everyone on the royal wedding list — except the royals themselves, thank goodness."

"So are you going to the wedding then?" Kurt asked, and both Skye and Wade looked over to see that the flirting couple in the corner… was no longer flirting in the corner but looked interested in the conversation those two were having.

Skye shook her head quickly. "No way. That's a guest list I'm glad I'll never be on. And you know all the victors were only invited for show so they have someone on Quill's side. Otherwise it's just creeps."

"That doesn't sound like it's going to be much fun," Kurt grumbled. "Creeps and captives?"

"Welcome to the Capitol," Skye said, opening her arms wide. "So, so glad we're overthrowing them soon."

"How soon?"

Skye paused and looked around the transport as she very quickly realized that all eyes were on her for her answer. "You'd have to ask Coulson," she said carefully. "But… I don't think there's going to be another Avenger Games." She added the next part in a rush of breath: "But you didn't hear that from me."

All of them seemed to let out a breath of relief on hearing it. "Well, that's good news at least," Kurt said.

"I know Coulson wanted it sooner. And you guys probably did too. And I know Peter Quill wanted it sooner. But ... soon. Real soon. I don't have an actual date, but… Coulson's making shorter-term plans than he has since I've known the guy." Her eyes shone with excitement. "I seriously can't wait to stop sneaking around and just be rebels. I hate schmoozing bad guys."

"So … who have you been schmoozing?" Wade asked with a grin.

"Actually? Coulson has been keeping me to smaller-time creeps. Businessmen, a few politicians. I've met pretty much everyone related to the Games, too. Some of the trainers are…." She trailed off, unable to come up with a word that appropriately matched the facial expression she was pulling.

"Yes. I've made that same expression trying to describe creep-o's before," Wade said, nodding sagely.

"Especially the business and politician types," Kate agreed. "They're…" She made the same face and then chuckled.

"But like I said, I'm a field agent now," Skye said. "So ... less schmoozing more shooting." She made finger guns at Wade as she said it.

"Oooh yes, we should keep you," Wade said, nodding. "How's your Charlie's Angels pose?"

"We can't keep her permanently," Kurt said with a little smirk. "She has her teacher to get back to."

Skye shot Kurt a look that didn't stand up to the knowing one he was giving her, and she ended up looking back down at her hands as she grumbled, "That's not…" but couldn't even really come up with an argument. "... very likely."

"Uh-huh." Kate was smirking too, though it seemed to be mostly directed at Kurt now that he looked rather smug.

"Smug is not your look," Wade said to Kurt. "What are you so smug over anyhow, Smuggity Smuggers? Share with the class?"

"It's not my secret to share," Kurt said with his gaze resting firmly on Skye.

"It's not a secret if there's nothing going on," she insisted.

"It's public knowledge then?" Kurt asked with a troublemaking grin.

"No, actually. It's not any … no one knows about that … thing that … is not a thing… you shouldn't even know…" She trailed off and shook her head. "How do you know?"

"I like mysteries," Kurt said with a little laugh. "So is that a confirmation then?"

"That I've worked with him? Yes. Anything else is just… you reading into things."

"Unconfirmed. Or perhaps … in progress."

"Neither. Nonexistent," she said, looking supremely relieved when Ororo called back to them that they would be landing soon.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Kurt asked, looking insulted, his tone one of total disbelief.

"She can't possibly be saying that," Kate said in a breath of a whisper with her head resting on Kurt's shoulder. "You're never wrong."

Skye looked around the transport but didn't seem to be getting any support, so she blurted out, "It's not even a thing, okay? It never was! Just cuz he's … you know…"

"I don't know; you'll need to explain," Kurt said as Kate made shooing motions with her hands.

Skye straightened up and tried to spit it out if nothing else to show them that it wasn't a big deal. "Just because he's … really good-looking doesn't mean I can do anything about it," Skye said, having lost her steam two words in as she began blushing furiously, though she kept her nose in the air. "So… there."

Kate and Kurt shared a quick look and a broad grin. "Lies," Kurt said slowly. "You can do something."

"Who?" Wade asked, his chin resting on both palms as he looked between the SHIELD agent and the couple. "I wanna know. Maybe I can suggest things you can do."

But just what it was that Skye could do about it, they didn't get to find out, as Ororo set them down in the hangar and Skye sprang for the door to run to Coulson and give a report of the mission.

"Saved by the bell," Wade said as she ran for it.

"Like that's going to keep her off our radar for more than the ten minutes it'll take Coulson to debrief," Kate said with a wicked grin as Kurt beside her chuckled and kissed her cheek.

Luke laughed as he deplaned. "Remind me to stay on your good sides if I ever find a nice girl, huh?"

"Just wait until we find your girl," Kurt said. "And then go with it. You'll be fine."

"Yeah, don't fight us when we're right, and it'll be smooth sailing," Kate agreed with an impish grin that had Luke laughing outright.

"If you say so."


Night of July 7

Capitol


On landing in the Capitol after dropping their kids off to be swept away to the arena, the group of victors immediately headed off to get to work. Considering that Logan was doing such a fine job of both keeping Quill in a decent mood and simultaneously disturbing the rest of the victors by how well he was getting along with his former mentor, Quill was quick to direct him away from Creed with an offer to show him the ropes on how to get sponsors for the kids in the Games.

"They'll all be looking for us anyhow. Might as well make it easy on them," Quill told him quietly. "Hanging around with Creed — for whatever reason at this point — is just not a good idea."

Logan didn't argue, particularly since he had a sneaking suspicion that Quill was absolutely right. Not once had any of Creed's tributes received a thing in the arena in the years he'd been working — so the chances of him knowing who to talk to or how to proceed were pretty slim.

As it turned out, they weren't expected to dress up, thank goodness, and the Capitolites and investors that were mulling about looked delighted that they were all in 'designs' of their own choosing. It made it easier for them to be found, after all.

But if the crowd of Capitolites, SHIELD agents, other victors, stylists, and whatnot had seriously thought that Logan would be unsure about how to move forward … they were sadly mistaken.

Quill didn't get through much of the quick break down before Logan dove in headfirst with a smile that came across as warm and approachable — and just like that, he started working the room.

The Capitolites were eating it up, which left his fellow victors a bit shellshocked, to say the least, hardly recognizing the young man going from person to person with a warm smile as the same one who practically snarled at anyone who came close to him in other situations.

Of course, once Logan had separated from Quill, Peter himself was rather inundated with Capitol sponsors waiting to talk to him. Unlike Logan — or any of the other victors, for that matter — Quill didn't have to worry in the least about trying to find sponsors. If anything, it looked like he would be doing his best juggling act keeping up with all the people who wanted to be sponsors for Five, just to get on the good side of Thanos' future son-in-law.

The other victors were getting down to work as well, though the second-newest in their ranks looked a little lost for a moment. Rhodey had been Pepper's mentor last year, and since she'd died early on, he hadn't really had to do much. He had shadowed Stane trying to get sponsors for Tony, but now, the roles were reversed. He had to get sponsors for Trevor, and Stane's tribute, Nefaria, had died early instead. And he wasn't comfortable with that particular graduation.

He didn't understand how Logan could be so blase about it, either. Half the room was filled with people who had used the victors in one way or another, and somehow, there was the usually surly little victor smiling. Rhodey was of the mind that he didn't even want to risk being within three feet of some of these guys — not because they put him off, which was true, but because he might put them through a wall if he didn't keep his temper.

Logan had just finished speaking with a particularly nasty piece of work — the guy had plenty of money, but he and his wife were just horrible — when Rhodey stepped over to him with both eyebrows raised. "What's the secret — liquid courage?" he asked with an attempt at a teasing smirk.

"If I was drinking, half these jackasses would be dead," Logan muttered low. "Just … set it aside. Not a thing you can do about it. Yet."

Rhodey shook his head at the answer. "I don't know how you do it. The urge to pitch some of them out a window…."

"It's not just an urge," Logan agreed. "More like an instinct. But I'll be damned if I'll let that stand in the way of trying to get that kid out of there." He paused and looked around the room for a moment. "To be honest, I just think of all the ways I'd like to kill 'em."

Rhodey's surprise softened the slightest bit, and he nodded. "Yeah… Well, don't let me stop you, then. God knows yours deserves it more than mine," he added in a low tone as he gestured toward the room of Capitolites. "But if instinct kicks in, you're welcome to come find me. I'll probably help you with 'em."

"If instinct takes over — I'm pretty sure you'll see it happen," Logan said with a little look.

"I'm just saying, I want to help finish them off," Rhodey said with a smile that sparkled with trouble.

"Hey," Logan replied with a tip of his head. "Plenty to deal with. Lots to choose from."

"I'll imagine them falling out the window when I talk to them," Rhodey said. "See if it helps." He shook his head as he headed back into the group. "Good luck."

"You too," Logan muttered before he disappeared into the crowd.

Meanwhile, Bobbi was on the far end of the room, more socializing than working, since she had Brian as a tribute, and he had been one of the bloodbath deaths, surprisingly. It was a new sensation, not working immediately after the bloodbath — she'd never lost a tribute this early. Masters had once, but Bobbi never had.

But it gave her the chance to strengthen some ties that Fury wanted her to check up on anyway.

Of course, she wasn't entirely off the hook either; just because her tribute was dead didn't mean she couldn't still get sponsors for the other tribute from Two. And what's more, there were a few sympathetic sponsors who wanted to fund Betsy in her brother's name, so there was that, at least. And considering the arena, it would be good to have sponsor money in their back pockets. Bobbi had a feeling water would be an expensive buy — but a necessary one — as the Games went on.

"Miss Morse!" The voice was a familiar one that cut over the crowd with a bit of a friendly tone. More friendly than she'd earned anyhow. But that's just how Seraph handled all of the victors, it seemed. "It looks like congratulations are in order. You did an incredible job prepping this one."

Bobbi turned to face Seraph with a pleased little smile but had to shake her head. "I'd really like to take the full credit, but he came to me ready-made."

"Oh, well, I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that," she said with a little laugh. "You must have done some coaching with all the time that Viper says you've spent with him."

"I'm a little surprised he listened," Bobbi said, starting to smile despite herself. Seraph's enthusiasm was infectious, even if Bobbi knew better than to fully believe it. "To anything I said, honestly. But if I can take credit for anything he's done…" She had to smirk. "I guess I'm improving my talents."

"That you are," she agreed brightly. "So sad to see your tall blonde boy go down so quickly. Such a shame. But that will give you more time to help Viper, won't it?"

"More time than I'm used to," Bobbi agreed, and she let her face light up with excitement. "I shadowed her my first year, but both of our tributes made it so far… it will be much more interesting to see her work a full Games. I'm learning a lot, even if I'm not a new victor anymore; I'm not ashamed to admit it."

"Well, be sure to direct the others where you can. I'm afraid our young Rhodes can use a little direction himself."

Bobbi glanced around the room until her gaze found Rhodey, who did look uncomfortable talking to a potential sponsor. She shook her head lightly. "He is struggling, isn't he?" she said with a frown. "Of course, it's his first real year… his tribute last year was dead before we even got back from the arena, really," she added quickly, as if she didn't want to seem judgmental.

"Yes, that's right. He had the little redhead, didn't he?" Seraph said with a little frown as she shook her head, looking as if it troubled her. "I'm afraid his prospects don't look terribly good this year, even when that young man cuts the crap and shows his true self."

"You noticed that too?" Bobbi laughed. "He's not as good of an actor as he thinks he is, but he is entertaining."

"Seraph has a way of knowing what everyone is really like," Viper said with a slow smile as she made her presence known to join the other two. "Even if they try to hide it."

Bobbi smiled at her old mentor as stepped slightly to the side to make room for her to join the conversation. "Well, now I'm curious. Any other good actors and actresses I should know about?" she couldn't help but laugh. "I like to think I'm decent at spotting them too, but like I said, I'm not ashamed to learn from someone better."

"Aside from present company?" Viper said, nearly grinning. "Nothing so interesting in the field, it seems."

"Then read the room," Bobbi offered. "We know Logan's smile is fake; he's never that cordial to Capitolites. And on the other hand, Quill's an open book…"

"I didn't think Logan was that cordial at all," Viper said with a little frown.

"You've never tried to drink with him," Bobbi pointed out. "And I don't mean daintily." She dropped her voice to a whisper and grinned at her mentor. "Talk about poison tolerance," she said in a soft tone, her eyes glittering with suppressed laughter.

"Well that's encouraging at least. You'll have to arrange it," Viper replied, though she was smirking to herself. "That sounds much more fun than what I had in mind. But for now … here I was … planning to slip something into Creed's drink — for entertainment of course — and wouldn't you know it … he's not playing along. Point me to someone fun."

Bobbi thought about it for a moment before she started to chuckle. "Oh, well, Stane's not doing anything useful anymore, and he always needs to be taken down a peg — or twelve."

"Do it with me," Viper said. "You infuriate him. Use that and distract him for me."

Bobbi grinned at the invitation before she politely excused herself from the conversation with both Seraph and Viper, strolling through the sponsors to where Stane was muttering over the loss of his tribute so early on.

"What's the matter, Stane? Mad you picked the wrong one this year?" Bobbi asked with a wide grin.

"Not like there was much to pick from," Stane replied, then narrowed his eyes at her for a moment. "You didn't fare much better."

"I know. Twelve caught us all by surprise," Bobbi said, sounding annoyed for a moment before she had to laugh. "But I wasn't the senior mentor. Viper picked the best candidate to win, don't you think? She'll fit in well with the Two victors."

"Yes," he agreed with a nod and a little sigh. "It's about time we got another girl anyhow, isn't it?" He gave her a look of pure malicious amusement as he waited for her answer.

"I say that every year, but for different reasons than you do," she said, her smile falling in an instant as she glared at him. "I just want another girl to remind you of your sad little place in life, Obadiah."

"Good luck with that, blondie," he said in a low whisper as he leaned a bit closer to her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, her lip curled the slightest. "Don't use up all my goodwill this early in the Games, Stane."

"Are you harassing my fellow mentor, Stane?" Viper asked with a frown as she came up on the other side of him. "Still upset you can't afford the pricetag?"

"That's always what's bothering him," Bobbi agreed before Stane could say anything, shooting Viper a little grateful look.

"Well, we should leave him in his misery," Viper said with a toss of her hair. "Come on, Bobbi — we have much better things to do."

Bobbi smirked Viper's way and nodded, following the older woman — though she was sure to pinch the nerves just under Stane's elbow as she passed him just for being a creep.

The two women barely made it back to Seraph, who was looking past them with a wicked glint in her eyes as Stane stumbled and fell. "Oh my. Someone seems to have had a bit too much to drink," Seraph said loudly.

"I'd call a cab for him, but then he might think I cared," Bobbi said, though in a much quieter tone meant only for the other two to hear. "I always forget how much he annoys me until I have to talk to him."

"He'll be no trouble for you for the rest of the Games, dear," Seraph said as she patted Bobbi's arm consolingly.

For a moment, Bobbi let out a breath, and then she looked annoyed, though she did shoot a little 'good' under her breath.

"Now, what I'd like .. is to hear more about you, my dear," Seraph said before she dropped her voice low. "I understand you've decided to take up Viper's offer finally."

Bobbi looked honestly surprised to hear that Seraph knew about that, and she glanced toward Viper for a moment. "She's offered to satisfy a little curiosity of mine," she said carefully. "I dabble in biology now that I have a little time to better myself. It's been a few years, and interest has died down."

"Oh," she replied looking a bit down. "I must have misunderstood. I thought you were going to learn from her. More than just a few simple toxins. She needs an apprentice, not a lab partner."

"I prefer to be a partner than to be an underling," Bobbi shot back with one eyebrow raised. "It's fascinating stuff, I won't lie. But I'm nobody's… tribute anymore."

"I'm not referring to just the lab, darling," Seraph replied. "Unless that's all you aspire to do is play with test tubes."

Bobbi glanced between the two older women for a moment, genuinely surprised by just how much Seraph knew about what she had been doing with Viper. She dropped her voice to a low whisper, "And what is your interest in my life aspirations anyway?" she asked.

"I want to be sure that my apprentice is choosing well," she replied, looking more cut-throat than Bobbi had ever seen of her.

"I didn't realize…" Bobbi trailed off, allowing her stunned look to speak for her. "But if that's the case," she said, getting back a little of her steam, "you should know I don't intend to be a waste of time. I'm not after knowledge for knowledge sake. What would be the point if I can't use it?"

Seraph watched her for a moment with her chin tipped up just a bit. "I'm sure we can come up with some sort of test. With time."

"I was under the impression letting my old mentor poison me was a pretty strong test," Bobbi said and couldn't help but smirk.

Viper chuckled at that. "That's in preparation for later, little bird."

"Well, no offense, but I trust you with the poisons a little more than her," Bobbi told Viper honestly.

"Poison and venoms are her thing," Seraph said. "I'll make sure you have the person you need to use them on and that all the doors that you need open are waiting for you."

"I won't use it on anyone who doesn't deserve it," Bobbi said with one eyebrow quirked up. "Anyone who crosses me, creeps like Stane…"

Seraph laughed a bit to herself as Viper smiled. "Of course; we're not monsters."

Bobbi narrowed her eyes but nodded to herself, quietly. "As long as you know where I stand."

Viper threaded her arm with Bobbi's. "Don't worry so much," she said. "Let's go watch the others scrambling for sponsors. My girl is all set, of course."

Bobbi took a moment before she relaxed and laughed a little. "You've been holding out on me. You didn't tell me you had an easy in; I've been wondering how you did so much work in so little time for years!"

"It's good to have the right people on your side," Viper said airly.