District 12

She stood on stage, shaking, forcing herself not to cry as so many others had done before her. She couldn't even look at Prim; if she did, she would surely fail her self-imposed restriction. All she could do was watch her surroundings, the district she called home. Some might say a home requires four walls, a solid roof, and running water. If that is what constitutes a home, no more than ten in this district would likely qualify. Others say that a home is where the heart is, and Katniss's heart was with Prim, which meant that her home was there. She would agree with the latter sentiment. Which also meant that she was now forced to leave her home.

"Billy Colette!" she hears the shirking voice of a Capitol man exclaim excitedly. That was a new change this year. Previously the mayor used to do the reaping but this year the Capitol has instated "Escorts", that both hold the ceremony and escort the tributes to the Capitol for the games. While not a thankful change, they used to ship the tributes by cattle train. If she had to choose, Katniss would still choose the cattle train. They are hoarded like dogs for a fighting cage, a nicer train can't change what they are. Animals fighting for survival. No, she thinks it would be better to be treated as the cattle she now is.

Billy Colette, the male tribute of 12, is an undernourished child of 14 years. Against Katniss's 18 years, it's not really a fair fight. Then again, nothing about this is fair. She wasn't even alive during the Dark days.

Billy makes his way beside her, and he can't stop crying. She has seen him around, he's seam, like her. She takes his hand in what small comfort she can offer, and stand in silence as the audience clap. She is the districts first volunteer but if she wins, not it's first victor. There was one girl 10 years ago but she can't remember her name since Katniss was only 8 years old herself, and since the 10th games seems to have been wiped from existence. There is no recording of it, and no one knows what happened to the winner. All that seems to be left of her is the songs Katniss father used to sing for her when they were out in the woods. He used to tell Katniss to never sing them out loud and to never ask anyone about winner of the 10th games. When she asked him why, he would tell her that some mysteries are better left unsolved and that it's best not to tread in dangerous waters because there might be snakes waiting to bite.

She misses him especially much now, she thinks. She wishes she could tell him goodbye one last time.

The Reaping is over very soon after the tributes have been chosen. This wakes Katniss up from her inner thoughts and she frantically looks around for Prim as she's ushered of stage and to the train platform. There she is given five minutes to say goodbye to her family and friends. That includes the time it takes to find them on the overcrowded platform. She stands between to Peacekeepers, the train behind her and her gaze frantically searching the crowd in front of her.

"Katniss!" She hears Prim cry and turns toward the sound just in time for her to crash into Katniss. Knowing the cameras are still on her, she still refuses to cry. She bends down to Prim's height.

"Prim, listen to me." Katniss voice is rushed while Prim frantically nods her head as she cries. "You need to survive, you're a good healer. Do that. Listen to mother, and ask the baker for help if you are in trouble."

Prim cries even more, the tears staining her white blouse when she hears Katniss words. "Promise you'll come back. Promise Katniss. You can win, I know you can." Her voice wavers. Her words almost breaks Katniss promise to herself not to cry.

"I will try little duck, I will try. But you need to promise me to live no matter what, okay?" Katniss is nothing if not holdfast, and the one thing that has kept her all this time, through death, starvation and hardship has been Prim. She needs to know now, that Prim will be alright no matter what.

"I promise." Prim says. Behind her stands their mother, silent and already halfway in a non-existent world. Katniss turns to her.

"You need to stay here. You need to be here for her. You can't disappear again." Katniss voice is stern, just above a whisper, still very much aware of the cameras around her. "Promise me that you will look after Prim." Her mother nods and pulls her into and embrace.

"Thank you for being there when I couldn't. Try to win, no matter the consequences." She says and Katniss hears a fire in her mother she has ent heard since her father was alive. Still not being able to forgive her mother, she simply nods. Something in Katniss eyes reveal what her mind cannot yet fully comprehend. As then pull away, her mother places something in her palm. "This was your fathers. Don't open you hand until you are on the train." She whispers hurriedly.

"Times up!" A Peacekeeper yells way too loudly, and it hurts her eardrums. Prim cries loudly as she is forced away from Katniss, and as Katniss turns around and enters the train, a few tears she fought so hard to suppress, manages to escape.

The Capitol

His plan was almost complete, this would be his last game as Head Gamemaker. Next year would be his first as president. With precise moves, he had executed his plan with the uttermost control. He suppose that he had Lucy to thank for his weapon of choice, though he would never admit that. After those awful incidents in the year of the 10th games, it became clear to him that death by violence is best left to the districts. Such rage filled, uncontrollable violence leads to chaos and Coriolanus is all about order. Order enables control.

Ravenstill, while a good military, was far too much a man of uncontrollable violence. He would not be able to keep Panem from another war, and it was Coriolanus opinion that Ravenstill's actions would led to the loss of the Capitol. It was thought before that his idiotic son, Felix, would take over after him. Coriolanus was thankful that he died during the 10th games. That had also enabled him with an opportunity. After the death of his son, Ravenstill had been unstable, uncontrollable and oblivious. As gamemaker, and later head gamemaker with contact directly to the president, it had enabled Coriolanus with an opportunity to get close to Ravenstill and to get him to trust him. This opportunity had resulted in Coriolanus getting free rains of the games, and influence over both the president and those close to him. Ravenstill, missing his son and unconsciously trying to find someone to fill that space, took on Coriolanus as a prodigy. The consequence, everyone expecting him to become the next president after Ravenstill. But that would be when Ravenstill dies, which if of natural causes, seems to far of still. Unacceptable, according to Coriolanus. Even death shouldn't be uncontrollable, and for him, it won't.

"Sir." Clemensia Doveclote addresses him. He turns to look at her. Every time he does he's equally disgusted. Her yellow eyes and rainbow scales a startling reminder of her betrayal and foolishness. He never shows her this of course, she is useful as his right hand.

"Yes?" His voice is cold, hard, uncaring even. While his thoughts have not distracted him from the ongoing events, he hates to be disturbed by things not worthy of his attention.

She turns her pad in her hand so that he can see the screens contents. "The tributes are arriving in an hour. But I thought you'd want a look at the numbers. The girl from 12 seems to be a favourite this year." She says as she shows him a video of the girl holding the hand of the crying boy tribute. "Doesn't she look a lot like-?" Lucy. He hardens his cold gaze even more if that was even possible.

"Like who? All the tributes from 12 look the same. Dirty, underfed," he looks at the screen and then back at Celemensia. "Scrawny." He turns away from her, his back now effectively towards her presence. "She isn't a problem. A nuance at most. She'll be dead as soon as the count down begins."

"Is that an order, sir?" He smiles to himself, small, unnoticeable.

"A prediction." The underlying doubt he feels as he watches the recap on the multiple screens in front of him, doesn't seep into his tone.