Welcome to the next chapter in Honor Bound! We're now in District Two, where the most loyal Capitol supporters live. This district is also a Career District, and they usually end up leading the pack. Do we have anyone like that today? We have Calaena Galis and Persephone Salind for our two young women, who were created by Dreaming of far away, and for our men we have Marcus Vippina and Leo Dallwoods, created by 66samvr. I really like most of these characters, but I think I have a soft spot in this district for Marcus. Let's see how everyone is preparing for this Reaping Day.

Also, I forgot to credit the creators of the previous characters. Tina and Belle were created by Girl With a Flower Crown, and Nero and Wax were created by Platrium.

Enjoy the second Chapter! Sorry it took so long!

District Two Reapings: Numb

Every move that I make is another mistake to you

Every second I waste is more than I can take.

Numb, Linkin Park

Persephone Salind, aged 11

Persephone woke to the shouts and yells of her parents. Carlos and Melody Salind were once again having a row. This was often how Persephone woke up, so she was used to it. Turning to the clock on her bedside table, she realized it was already eleven o'clock. She only had an hour and a half before she needed to be at the reaping.

Jumping out of bed, she quickly dressed and rushed downstairs. She ignored her parents in the living room, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a glass of juice and a donut. She finally went into the kitchen, where she leaned down to tie the laces of her converse. She couldn't do anything but hear her parents argument.

"You missed work again!?" Melody yelled. "You lazy ass. Why did I ever marry you? All I got out of it was a worthless daughter and a son who got himself killed."

Persephone had known it would be coming, but it didn't hurt any less. They always compared her to Marcus, which she completely hated. It made her feel insignificant and small underneath her parents disdainful gazes. She supposed, however, that this was the point. These days, the only thing her parents were in agreement on was that Marcus had been one hundred times better than she ever would be.

"Well, that's not surprising, is it," Carlos grunted. "She never did do anything worth notice. My work kicked me off the shift. I've got to go find something else tomorrow."

"No you won't!" Melody shouted. "You're just going to sit on the couch tomorrow, and I'll have to work double time at the mine."

Saying nothing, Persephone slipped out of the house unnoticed. Jogging down the road, she scanned the path for anyone in her way. This was the part of the day she always looked forward to: when she could be herself.

Of course, her version was a little different than someone else's would have been. Her eyes landed on a girl leaning down drawing something in the dirt. Reaching her, Persephone rubbed it out with her shoes and gave her a snide grin.

Finally, Persephone arrived at her friend Irana's house. Irana was one of her followers, who helped her harass other kids, and they were fairly close. At least, as close as Persephone would ever let anyone get to her.

"Ready for the reaping?" Irana asked her as she entered. "Who do you think will get picked?"

Persephone had been contemplating this for a while, and had long made her decision. "I am."

"Hold on, what?" she questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to volunteer, Irana," Persephone told her. "I can win, easily."

"Persi, hold on a minute," Irana cautioned. "You're not thinking about this. Do you have a death wish?"

Persephone didn't answer her, but simply muttered, "That's a possibility."

She was going to volunteer for this years' games, and she would prove to her parents that she was as good as Marcus. No, she would show them that she was better than he had ever been. She would win the Games

Marcus Vippina, aged 16

The afternoon of the reaping found Marcus Vippina at the Training Academy. He had a feeling that he knew why he had been called over, but he didn't want to think about it for the moment.

Of course, this was mostly impossible to do. Marcus had always been a worrier, and that was something he couldn't help. Most of the guys at school or the Academy would joke whenever he started to show nerves, so he had decided that he didn't want to bother with them. The only one of them who never mocked him or teased him when he got that way was Praim Titam.

As he kept walking, attempting to distract himself, he passed by a familiar house. There was really nothing special about it. It had a decently shingled roof, clapboard siding painted a pale green, and a few bright looking windows. It looked like a homey little place, and yet Marcus steered clear of it. As he passed, a vivid memory flashed across his consciousness like a full HD camera.

"You can't keep doing this, Atlas!" Marcus exclaimed at the boy, or rather, man, walking beside him. "This isn't something to joke about. Mom and Dad wanted you to stop, so what's the deal? Do you want to kill yourself?"

"Marcus, I can't just act like an invalid," Atlas Vippina responded, seeming to be under control. "I won't just go without a fight. If I keep training, my body gets stronger. Then the cancer will leave, and I'll be fine." However confident Atlas may have sounded, Marcus knew he was deluding himself. He was trying to prove that he could still do everything he normally did.

"That's not how it works, and you know it!" Marcus retorted. "The doctor said you don't need to overexert yourself, and that training so much would only run you down and...and…"

Marcus could not continue as his voice shook and a few burning tears escaped. The unfinished sentence hung in the air, the ending of it haunting the brothers.

"I won't be a burden on you guys," Atlas said firmly. "The only way I'll stop is if I am physically unable, which I currently am not. I'm fine, I'll be able to go and win the Games, and then we can afford a real cure."

The boys continued on their way home, mostly in silence. Atlas was quiet, but kept moving, so Marcus was surprised when he abruptly stopped.

"At-" Marcus began, but then the thing that the whole family had secretly feared happened. Right before his eyes, Marcus saw his brother crumple to the ground like a paper sack.

"Atlas!" Marcus screamed. His mind was racing. What should he do? Marcus scanned around the street, his eyes landing at a house across the street. It was painted a pale green color which Marcus would ordinarily have found nice, but now it almost made him sick. Almost not thinking about it, he ran across the street and banged on the door.

"Hello?" a woman, who Marcus vaguely recognized but could not name. "I'm sorry, we don't buy-"

"Can I use your phone?" Marcus gasped out. It was all he could do to keep from panicking, which would render him speechless and stiff as a robot. "I-I need to make a call, it's really urgent. My brother collapsed-" He could not get out anymore, and took in a huge lungful of the cool evening air.

"Of course," she said, staring dumbfounded at Marcus. He couldn't blame her, he'd probably act the same if someone had banged on his door at eight in the evening asking for the phone. "Come in."

Marcus entered the house, and followed her to the phone. He dialed the first number he thought of, which was his house phone.

"Mom- mom, it's Atlas-"

His parents had come, and with the help of a couple nearby residents, they had gotten him into their car. They went to the only hospital in District 2, and Atlas was taken straight into the emergency room.

The long hours they spent there were nothing short of torture for Marcus. No one would tell them anything, simply saying that when there was a change in Atlas' condition, they would notified. Marcus remembered wishing that Praim could have come, but the hospital was too far away and the Titams didn't own a car.

At four thirty-seven a.m the next morning, a young nurse came to tell them the news.

"He didn't make it," she said, her head bowed solemnly. "I'm so sorry."

It had been exactly a month since that night, and Marcus still thought about it several times a day. It kept replaying in his mind, and he kept thinking that there had to have been something he could have done to save Atlas. He knew it was really foolish, as even trained doctors and nurses hadn't been able to do anything. The knowledge still didn't stop the thoughts.

Finally arriving at the Academy, Marcus made his way to where he knew the instructor be.

The office he entered was small, but liked it. However, he didn't marvel.

"Hello, Marcus." Krain Denu was a hardened looking man. Marcus always wondered what had made the creases on his face look so much like scars. However, looks could be deceiving, and Denu was no exception. The instructor of District Two's academy was a gentle man who took care to train his students with razor sharp precision in something they were good at. "First, may I offer my sincere condolences for the passing of Atlas? I know it was a hard blow on your family."

"Thank you," Marcus accepted. He had grown used to hearing similar words the past few weeks, and so this was almost an automatic response. "What is this meeting about?"

Denu took a moment to speak, seeming to ponder how to word what he wanted to say. "I -meaning we, the Academy- have decided that you will replace Atlas as the volunteer for this years Games."

Marcus did not know what to say. He had trained, of course, but he didn't have the skill and precise aim that Atlas had. He was definitely the most skilled in his age group, but there were plenty of the older boys who had beaten him in practice.

He knew he could not decline. While it was a tragedy, losing Atlas had lost the Vippinas much of the local favor they had. That favor was a result of Atlas' selection as volunteer, and when he died, even though many tried not to, honor was big in District Two, and the Vippinas had lost a lot when they lost Atlas. If he accepted, he would bring back the favor his family had gained. And if he won…

Marcus had been thinking for a whole minute, and Dean's voice was what brought him back. "Well? Will you volunteer, or will there be no Victor for District Two this year?"

With only a moment's hesitation, Marcus gave his answer.

"Yes. Yes, I'll volunteer."

Leo Dallwoods, aged 10

Leo bounced up and down with nerves as he stood in the crowd of ten year olds. Most of the younger kids were balls of nervous energy, and he was no exception. Next to him stood his brother, Zene.

"You alright, little bro?" Leo asked his brother, giving him a playful nudge.

"We're twins," Zene reminded him. "I'm not your little anything."

"You're six and a quarter minutes younger than me," Leo said. "That makes me older."

"So what?" Zene shrugged. "We'll be okay. There are plenty of other kids that could get picked."

The reaping started fairly quickly. The escort hurried onto the stage, glowering at one of the cameramen as she began her speech. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor. Let's begin with the ladies."

She went to the first bowl on the stage, and picked a name from the bowl. "Heina Killian."

As expected, one of the older girls volunteered for Heina. She was pretty enough, with long dark brown auburn hair and clear gray eyes that scrutinized the whole scene.

"I'm Calaena Galis," she introduced herself. Her outfit and hairstyle gave her a very gladiator-like look, and Leo supposed that she would end up being the leader of the Career pack this year. "Eighteen years of age."

The escort picked another name for the younger girls. The girl who came up was nine, and seemed scared out of her mind. It didn't seem like there would be any volunteers, and then a girl raised her hand up and came up onto the stage. She looked like a little doll, and seemed kind of like an innocent kid. "Persephone Salind, but call me Persi." Leo knew better than to believe her act, though. He knew Persephone from school. She was a year older, and always found it amusing to harass the younger kids.

Next was the older boy, who was also a volunteer. He seemed a little younger than the usual male volunteers that Two saw, but looked at least like he had a fighting chance, as well as the ability to possibly hide. "Marcus Vippina," he said in response to being asked his name.

And finally, the younger boy was to be reaped. The escort picked out a couple of names. Leo watched her drop one of the slips of paper, as she walked back to the podium and read the name.

"Zene Dallwoods!"

Leo looked around wildly at his brother, who had gone very pale. Beads of sweat grew on his cheeks, and Leo knew that Zene was terrified.

And yet, he couldn't volunteer. I have to! But he couldn't speak the words. Instead, he walked up onto the stage, saying nothing as he walked up. Stupid, stupid.

What had he gotten himself into? He was pretending to be his brother? Was that illegal or something? Would he be in trouble if he got caught. You can't get caught.

He was in the Games. And he was going in as his brother.

Calaena Galis, aged 18

Calaena sat on one of the cushioned seats in the room she'd been escorted to in District Two's Justice Building. It was meant to deceive, to lull entrants into letting their guard down. She wasn't going to let herself be distracted. She had to come home, or she'd dishonor her mother, and her district. If she won, her mother would not need to work in the mines six days a week to support them. They would be rich and have a home in the Victor's Village.

"Ten minutes," a Peacekeeper said, opening the door. Calaena looked towards the door to see her mother quickly enter. She did not cry, but had a cautious smile on her face, one that seemed to be preparing for something.

"Cally," her mother murmured. They tasted the words, slowly, as if it might be the last time it was spoken.

"Mom, it will be fine," Calaena reassured her, as she had done many times before now, ever since she'd known she would be chosen. "I'll be back in a few weeks, and I'll be a victor."

Calaena knew her mother didn't really want her to do this, but it was too late now, and had been for a while. Vera Galis knew how her daughter felt about it, and supported her in any capacity needed.

"You're extremely smart," she began. "You know you can't trust anyone, even your alliance. Be very careful, get a bit of extra training, and win and come home to me."

Calaena could not speak, and so merely nodded. The odds were in her favor, certainly, but that meant nothing if there were connivers and sneaks. She would not be able to let her guard down for a second, because that second could mean death.

"I know," she got out. It seemed to be enough.

Their ten minutes were coming to a close, and when the Peacekeeper came to announce time over, her mother began to sob, and Calaena simply hugged her. It was all she could do. It was heart wrenching to see her mother, always so strong, a red-eyed mess being forced from the room.

A few minutes passed, and the door was opened once again. Two girls entered, and Calaena was glad to see her two best friends entering the room.

"Luna, Tabby," she breathed, feeling relief at seeing them. It was as if tension had been released, and she was able to breathe easier knowing that she was able to see her friends one more time.

"Hey, Cal," Tabitha had a wan smile, which was a rarity. Tabitha was always serious, but aloof. She never related well to anyone unless she was fighting them. Calaena supposed that's why they got on so well. "You know you can win this. You've trained since you were six year old."

That much was true, at least. She most likely had the most training of any of the tributes this year. That could be a very good thing, or a very bad thing.

"Please, just stay safe!" Luna said, worry coming through every fibre of her. Luna was always the excited one. They had met in kindergarten, when Luna had decided that they would be friends, and pestered her until they had become so. They never fought with each other, except for one argument about whether she should accept and volunteer for the Quell. "Even if you have to leave the Careers, it's better than getting yourself killed."

"Remember how to splint a broken leg?" Tabitha asked her. "What's the first step?"

"Don't move the leg unless absolutely necessary," Calaena answered. It was one of many pop questions Tabitha had sprung on her in the last few weeks, to prepare her for the Games.

"Good," she said. "You can win. In any problems, just remember we're rooting for you every second."

"We have something for you," Luna said. She pulled something out of her pocket, and placed it in Calaena's palm. She examined what had been placed there. It was a silver charm bracelet, with fish pendants dangling from it.

"Thanks, guys," Calaena said, clipping it onto her wrist.

"It's not just a bracelet," Tabitha told her. "It's a weapon."

Calaena stared at it, intrigued. "There's a little button on the backs," Luna began. "If you push them, a small compartment opens, and there's poison in them. I don't know what's in them, but they're all supposed to be deadly or close to it."

"Wow, thanks," Calaena said, staring at it. "But how am I going to get this in? It'll be confiscated if someone finds out."

"No one will think to push the buttons," Tabitha assured her. "And if they do, they'll probably just clear out the poison and give it back to you. In that case, you still have a stylish bracelet."

"Just stick with, 'they won't think to look,'" Luna stated firmly.

The door was opened, and the Peacekeeper entered the room. "Time's up, come on."

"You can do it," Tabitha told her, giving one final embrace. "Good luck." Tabitha walked out, and Luna remained.

"I know you'll win," she said. "Calaena Galis, you had better come back. I will never forgive you if you don't."

"Don't worry, I'm coming back," Calaena said. "Besides, you'll probably pester me even in death. I'd never escape you!"

"Precisely," Luna agreed. "Good luck, and I'll see you soon, victor."

Luna finally left, and the door was closed. Calaena knew she would receive no other visitors. Who else would come? None of her other training friends cared about her enough to come by, and her dad had never been a part of her life, so why would he start now?

Let the Games begin, she thought. I'm ready.

So sorry it took so long to make this, but I have an explanation! I made you guys something to enjoy! It's a video, with all the cahracters on it. I'm going to work on a blog soon, but this I thought would be a little something you guys would like! watch?v=xzUJFX5crrI. Enjoy, and review!

Here are your chapter questions...

Do you think Persephone will get what's coming to her, or is she justified in her actions?

Will Marcus be the first to die of the Careers, or is he hiding a secret weapon that could be the tipping point for him?

Will Leo be discovered, or do you think he can pull of the act?

Will Calaena's token be a helpful item, or will it be the cause of her own death?