A/N: Thanks to mangesboy01, richards25, DigbyThompson, RealFiction, That Hufflepuff, Flintlightning and Kman528 for reviewing the last chapter!

I'm just going to say this so that everyone understands:

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR 'MENTOR'.

I am still trying to finish 'Mentor', but I know that many more people are interested in seeing this completed than my other stories (over 85% voted for this in the poll on my profile), and I serve to please you, the readers, with this story. I'm not completely abandoning 'Mentor' (I will eventually complete it), but it's being postponed for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, on to today's chapter. I hope you enjoy it :)


"He's coming and she knows it

Even if she knows why

Footsteps in the hallway

Girl, you haven't got time

You've got to get out

Go far away."

- Rob Swire, 2010.


The 67th Annual Hunger Games

Johanna Mason (16), District 7 Female

Pendulum - Witchcraft (2010)


I drop to the ground as quickly and quietly as I can as soon as I hear footsteps approaching.

I'm used to doing this; even though this is only the second evening of the Games, I've had to drop to the floor (it's the best, if slightly risky, chance of concealing yourself) several times to avoid being spotted already. It's annoys me to keep having to back out of fights like this, but it is the only way to keep up my strategy.

The Games so far have been interesting to say the least. After last year's fiasco of a Career Alliance, I don't think many of the Careers were as keen to join up. Two separate groups have formed, with the girl from District 1 going it alone. This has both merits and disadvantages. While there may be supergroup of Careers, they will be more spread out, and the chances of running into just one of them have been vastly increased. Even one on one, the chance of survival against a Career is very low.

I'd be temped to say that out of the rest of the field, I stand the best chance of anyone of defeating a Career in an even fight. My strongest weapon is the one-handed combat axe, but I'm versatile. I can defend myself with any type of small, one-handed weapon; something that I proved yesterday at the cornucopia.

The arena is something completely different this year.

The cornucopia sits in a ring of dry, dusty dirt, which is ringed by steep, smooth cliffs. Out of the cliffs are several openings, which lead to a maze of dark, narrow tunnels, where there is no light, no heat and little water. It's not the kindest arena for tributes, but it is fair on everyone.

The supplies at the cornucopia were extremely generous. Running in towards the cornucopia, I managed to grab a short dagger and a large backpack before turning to flee.

However, this part of my plan wasn't so easy to complete.

Running away from the cornucopia, I strayed into the path of Gabriel, the boy from District 1, who was armed with a longsword. Gloss has been bragging about his tribute's ability all week, and I can tell you now that he was not lying. I knew that my fight was always in vain, but I'm surprised at how long I managed to hold on with just a dagger. Still, I was finally defeated, a large gash in my left thigh being the result of the confrontation.

Everything was a bit blurry after that, but somehow I managed to pick myself up and escape the bloodbath alive.

In my backpack, I found a pair of night-vision glasses, that I've used to spot tributes up ahead and lie low, sticking to my strategy ever since. I don't know how, but my mentor Blight managed to get me medicine yesterday evening. Maybe the price of medicine was still low enough to be worth it, or my skill and resolve in my fight with Gabriel has earned me more sponsors than I expected.

But either way, my leg has recovered. I might not be a full recovery, but I'm able to move comfortably now. I'm able to use my plan to its full extent now; score low in training to avoid attracting attention, and make sure to only kill when I'm a hundred percent certain of it. Nobody alive should know of my skill. I'll be a hidden threat. Until I choose my moment to fight, I can use my night-vision goggles to stay out of harm's way.

And that's exactly what I'm doing now.

I'm at a point where two tunnels have joined but run parallel to each other, one higher up than the other. From my height, I can look down and see a ten-foot drop to another pathway. If it wasn't for my night-vision glasses, I could've suffered quite a nasty fall.

I see the light of an electric torch shine along the lower platform, and I notice three figures walk down the tunnel towards me.

The first, and one of two boys holding torches, is the boy I fought at the cornucopia, Gabriel Samson, disputably the favourite to win the Games, I need to stay out of his way. He's tall and strong, like many of the Careers, but his long black hair that often sweeps across his eyes gives him a far more sinister, imposing look than the others. He carries a longsword in his free hand and is in conversation with his two current allies.

The boy (or man) in the centre is Alec Flood, the stereotypical District 4 Career. He's also armed with a sword and was the only tribute to match Gabriel in training. He seems peaceful enough now, making jokes with his allies, but I know he's as deadly as they come. He killed another volunteer at the reaping in order to get here.

The third boy is my district partner, Vincent, who I loathe for abandoning the outlying districts and joining the infamous Careers. He may deserve it, but he's crossed the line by accepting their advances. Few would dare conspire against their own district, as Vincent may well end up doing.

Regardless of who they are as people, I know that they scored a cumulative goal of thirty-one in training. As for me, I only have four points to my name. I may in reality be worth eight or nine, but that is still no match for the three young men walking along the lower passage beneath me.

I quickly drop to the floor, but I am too fast for my own good, smashing my chin into the ground. I'm unable to stop myself from crying out in pain, but I instantly clasp my hands obey my mouth, angry with myself for making such quick movements.

"What was that?" Vincent calls out below me as the three boys look around, confused. Peering over the edge of my ledge, I can see them looking up and down their passageway, clearly confused as to where the noise could have come from, but neither Gabriel nor Vincent shine their torches upwards, so my passageway, and thus my hiding place remain hidden.

"I've no idea," replies Gabriel, confused. "There's nothing this way, Vincent," he says, shining his torch on ahead.

"There's nothing behind us, either," Vincent replies, shining his torch down the passageway that they had just walked along. "Maybe it was nothing," he muses.

"Well, whatever it was, it's not here now," Gabriel concludes, looking back at his allies. "Come on, we should keep moving."

With that, Gabriel leads the way down the tunnel, and Vincent follows. For a few moments, Alec stays still, as though he is thinking. I can tell that he is deep in thought by his vacant expression, and then he looks up at what I'm sure he presumes to be the roof of the tunnel.

But instead, he stares directly into my eyes.

For a moment I feel his eyes pierce me until I realise that despite our eyes being less than ten feet apart, he can't see me. I slip off my night-vision glasses silently and realise that there is no sign that he is there at all. I can only just see the ground that I lie on, peeking down at the boy below me.

Putting my glasses back on, I see that Alec hasn't moved. If only he had a torch, he would be able to see me. I'm sure that he'd be able to find a way up to me if he knew. I may have survived Gabriel once, but I doubt I'd be able to survive another Career attack.

But thankfully Alec doesn't have a torch, and so I know that I am perfectly safe.

Then the boy from District 4 shakes his head and runs off after his allies, leaving me alone in the arena once again.


A/N: Again, I'm not writing a summary for this one. I may have revealed the victor of 'Mentor', but I'm giving nothing else away about the storyline. You'll have to wait and find out what happens, if you're interested :)

Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter, please review! As ever, constructive criticism is welcomed :)

P.S. I will try to update 'Mentor' soon, although I can't guarantee anything.