Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.

A/n: There will be 4 chapters/segments. Updates will be prompt - no more than two days between, hopefully. Please, enjoy.

2) Watchman

So things in the house have been pretty damn tense. We spend every damned minute glued to the television. Mom and Dad are talking to me but I can see it in their eyes: they wish I'd volunteered. I'm trying to spend my time with friends instead, who don't wish me dead.

The Games have been going on for a while and, I'm not gonna lie – I'm hopeful. Liev's made it this far. There's already been a lot of brutal deaths. Sulia Davisun died on the first day; Marvel from District 1 killed her. Maybe I was seeing what I wanted to but I'd swear she looked relieved when she died. Whatever, at least she's somewhere where no one can hurt her now. Even if her goddamn brothers and father don't care.

I guess District 3's already lost half its chance. Still, like I said, I'm hopeful. After all, everyone thought Liev would be dead by now. But he's only gone and teamed up with the stronger tributes. Yeah, they could kill him at any time but I know Liev. He'll have a trick up his sleeve. Something brilliant. Hell, I been the victim of his pranks for years. It's about time he expanded.

Annoyingly, I've had school for most of the day and can only see the Games once I get out. I stand in the Square watching one of the bigger screens. Man, I hate this place. But at least I can see my brother here.

Liev's heading back through the forest with the scarier tributes. Cato, Clove and Marvel are arguing about some fire. I look round and see a highlight programme: from the looks of things, the girl from 11 has been making decoy fires. Another screen shows the girl from 12 flying backwards because of an explosion. My heart sinks a bit. The only things in the arena which can cause an explosion are the mines. The ones Liev set up. Something even I can't do, though I'm older. Another sign that my brother's a fricking genius. That he's got it in him to be the next Beetee.

I keep watching, too scared to move, though even now I know that my brother's going to survive. He's got to survive. I can't live with the guilt of killing him. I remember how much I resented him. He can't die. I just got to keep reminding myself that Liev's too smart to die. He's got a plan. He's Beetee in miniature.

They get back to the destroyed food and Cato starts shouting and swearing and ripping out his hair. Liev checks the floor but there are no explosives left. Course not. Liev wouldn't have wanted even the slightest chance that someone would survive. He's a perfectionist. A bit extreme but he's got to do it right. That's just who he is.

And he was wrong, I realise. He needed less mines. He wouldn't have thought of it – he'd have been too absorbed with one goal. I would have, though. I got that thought process – I'd have thought about the stuff. But I wouldn't have been able to rewire the mines anyway so it's a stupid point. Either way, the Otol brothers would not have done well. He didn't even do better than me since the girl got aw-

What! No! No!

RUN! Liev, run! Please, get away. He's going to-

Cato grabs my little brother's neck and twists his arm sharply. Liev falls, his neck broken and a cannon fires. On the highlight screen, they replay it. I watch my brother die again. And again.

No. No. No, please.

So I'm dreaming. That's it. Course that's it. Liev's not dead. I just got to wake up and watch the Games and he'll be fine. Is fine. Since he's not dead.

"Someone catch the boy," I hear a voice say distantly. "He's going to fall."

I feel hands on my back and realise that some guy's propping me up. Why? Am I awake now?

"He's not dead," I say.

"Who?" the guy holding me asks.

"Liev."

The man looks at me carefully. "Do you mean Liev Otol, our male tribute?"

"Course. Who the hell else?" I should be more polite but there's some part of me telling me my brother's been killed and I'm trying to get it to shut up. No energy to spare on manners. Besides, if he'd paid any attention at the beginning, he'd have seen the interview my dad gave about Liev.

"Son ... I'm sorry. He just died." The man's voice is soft. "Did you know him?"

I start to walk away. Lies. The man's got to be lying. Liev can't be dead. I glance up at a screen. The people on it are in slow motion. Liev turns. Cato grabs him and twists. Liev...

Liev dies.

I start shaking. I think I do. I got no idea. The world's spinning but I keep walking. People ask me if I'm OK. I don't reply. How the hell can I reply? I just watched my only brother die. I just killed my brother.

I sent Liev to his death. I watched it happen and I did nothing to stop it. He's dead. He's dead, he's dead and I did it.

And they ask me if I'm OK?