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Chapter XI Allies and Landmines
The Capitol
Chariot Parade Prep Hanger
The prep for the Tribute Parade was an exhausting ordeal for even the most patient of Tributes. Hair pulled and preened, skin exfoliated, and then shoved into costumes that were either too tight or too embarrassing. And when they were done, without any ceremony, each Tribute was dumped into the Parade staging area, a massive hanger that was guarded by Peacekeepers with twelve horse drawn chariots lined, ready to usher them out for all of the Capitola and Panem to see. The whole experience was terrifying for most of the Tributes, or at least unnerving, due to the foreign experience of being in the Capitol. One such experience was the horses, animals that, except for Buck and Hayley, none of the Tributes had ever in person before.
Lana however was committed to making sure no one saw that any of this phased her. She was about to meet the rest of the Careers and any sign of weakness would be blood in the water for them. A show of strength was needed and while Lana wasn't interested in leading the Pack, she needed the others to respect her when she spoke.
Thankfully, her stylist hadn't let her down. Apparently the theme of the year was each District got a different color and stylists had to work that into their outfits. District 1 had gotten the color purple and her stylist had dressed her in a gorgeous, if skimpy, dress with a peacock feathered crown and a cape that was held up in the air through static electricity. Reko was dressed much the same, except he was going shirtless and the stylists had glued purple rhinestones onto his chest.
'Aunt Katie won't even be able to make a snide comment about my looks.' Lana thought proudly. And Lana could just imagine what her girlfriend Evelyn would say, or do, to her if she saw Lana in this. That thought definitely brought a smile to her face.
"Why aren't you showing off your beauty mark?" Reko asked as they entered the hanger.
Lana shot him daggers, annoyed he was talking about the scar on her face. "My crown is big." She weakly lied. In truth, the stylists had asked Lana about it and when she told them the lost parts of her ear were from a car crash, they "advised" her to lie and say it was from a training accident and then leverage that into saying "you should see what I did to the other guy."
Given that the scar was a remembrance of her dead parents, Lana used all her strength to keep her mouth shut and hands off the stylists' necks.
"Well, your chariot awaits you, your majesty." Reko said, giving her a mock bow. Lana kept her face plain, or at least she hoped so. Why did everything her District partner say sound so coy and smooth? Was the guy incapable of speaking normally? It was going to drive her insane.
"It can keep waiting. We have a Pack to meet."
The other Careers were already in the hangar, gathered in front of the District 3's chariot. District 2's tributes, Valdez and Estelle, looked suitably intimidated in silver colors, which complimented Valdez's and Estelle's dark skin nicely. Their upper bodies were dressed in full battle armor while waist down they worse silver color tunics. On their heads instead of crowns were platinum halos, with fake daggers for the rays inside of it. Both looked like gods of war, perfectly fitting the District 2 stereotype.
District 4, however, seemed to have had lazy stylists this year. Predictably, they got blue, but both Mara and Cean were dressed in nets. Literally. Thick roped necks, dyed blue, covering their bodies while in their hair, the stylist had put starfish. It was a bizarre look that neither of them appeared thrilled with. Personally, Lana would have put some dolphins pins on Mara to compliment the tattoo on her jaw.
"I don't think District 4 are in love." Reko whispered.
"Why?
"Because I'm a people person." Reko laughed. Cean was standing closer to District 2 then his own partner. Was there already a crack in the Pack? "Greetings everyone!" Reko said, taking over and playing leader. "District 1 has arrived!"
Brief introductions were made, the six Tributes taking the time to size up their "allies." Gait and tone of voice were measured, the strength of the handshakes were taken into account, and eye contact was prolonged, all to see who would be top dog and who was content to follow.
Estelle was the first to make a move. "Now that we're all here, we can start planning strategy."
"Now? We've just met." Cean asked.
"Of course now. Everything matters here. This will be the non-Pack's first impressions of us and we need to make sure they fear us."
"She's right." Valdez said, falling into line behind Estelle. Not that he minded. While her parents might have had their issues, Estelle was an honorable woman and strong willed. He had no issue following her and making sure the others listened when she spoke. But if she faltered, Valdez was ready to handle things.
"Then I'd like to bring up our first interjected." Mara interjected. Her eyes turned to Cean, disgust evident to everyone. "Cean is unfit to be a Career. He's only received rudimentary training and is fifteen to boot. He'll be an anchor on us as soon as we step of the plates."
Estelle was more cautious. The Career Pack was delicate and tossing someone from District 4, their newest member in recent years, could upset the Capitol who absolutely loved District 4, for whatever reason. "Is this true?" She asked Cean.
"I was trained." Cean countered, though he seemed to wither a bit under the stares of five fully trained Career. "I'm good with a spear. And, I can keep an eye on the camp while you guys go hunt! Or do other stuff too."
Mara scoffed. "What kind of actual Career wants to be a camp guard?"
"She's got a point." Lana said, "If this is what District 4 is offering, maybe we see if any of the other Districts have someone with skills.
"I agree." Reko chimed in, before nodding politely to Mara. "And besides, who are we second guess a legend like the daughter of Caster from the 40th Hunger Games!"
Mara was almost flattered if she didn't feel like Reko was full of shit. But she took the compliment and point to her side in stride. Valdez was less convinced. "He should have a chance to prove himself. You say you can work a spear, well let's see how you do in Training."
"Not worth it." Mara said.
"Hey!" Cean shouted.
"It's one day." Valdez countered. Mara had a snippy tone and Valdez could tell they weren't going to get along. "And we need to think of the precedent we set going forward. Long term for the Games, District 4 is part of the Careers now. We can't just toss someone from 1, 2, or 4 on whims."
Reko kept the smile on his face, but inside wanted to roll his eyes. Who cared about how it affected future Games? They'd either be dead or Victor, either way beyond caring. It was an interesting way to think, almost like the guy had honor or something.
Estelle remained silent, waiting until all eyes turned to her. She couldn't help but smile, glad they were already thinking her as the arbiter of disputes. "We'll see your spear skills tomorrow. If it's not good enough, you're cut."
Cean nodded. It was something. Already he could picture himself in his room later tonight practicing his moves. At least he hadn't been booted immediately. Mara looked absolutely furious and that at least made him feel good.
And then, the Pack met the tallest person any of them had ever seen.
Chase, dressed in white and like a piece of cotton, approached them with an easy confidence. He smiled to each of them and opened simply. "Sup?" He asked. "Are you taking recruits this year?"
"No." Mara replied.
"Yes." Said Lana, at the same time. Next to them, Estelle bristled. This is why they needed to strategize earlier. Mara was glaring at Lana, who in turn glared back, refusing to break.
Chase just smiled, speaking as though they were old friends. "Relax, I'm not demanding to join. I'm sure I've got to try out and everything, just wanted to gauge interest."
"What can you do?" Valdez asked. His height certainly made him seem capable, and he also didn't seem to be the starving type that District 8 typically produced.
"Oh, you know, a little bit of this and that. I'm strong, think fast on my feet, and can also make the girls go wild. You know what that's like, right?" Chase asked, leaning a long arm across to bump Valdez with his fist. Valdez, deeply amused, returned it, wondering what his boyfriend would think of that question. The girls were less amused, with Mara scoffingand Lana rolling her eyes. Estelle remained firm, not showing her opinion but Reko began to laugh, clearly entertained by the giant of 8. Cean just looked between everyone, wondering miserably if Chase was about to edge him out of the Pack.
Meanwhile, back at the District 8 chariot, Cara watched in shock as her partner insinuated himself with the Careers. He was doing it, actually speaking with Careers… and they weren't killing him! In front of her, District 7 was in their chariot, though neither had addressed her. With the color green, their District stylist kept with the seemingly never ending theme of trees for their outfits. David was sitting down in the chariot, still feeling miserable. Ola was next to him, but she hadn't spoken to him since yesterday. Her eyes stared forward, watching the scene with Chase and the Careers play out. Was she thinking of joining? David could see that. She looked tough enough to survive them and all she had to do was tell them that she killed a boy and she'd be golden.
Briefly, he looked back at Cara, considering talking to her. At fourteen she was a year younger than him, so it'd make sense they'd be allies, right? 7 and 8 were close enough. But the more and more he thought about it, David struggled to think of a good reason to spend time trying to ally with people. There hadn't been many, but there certainly were Tributes who hid for the whole the Games and ended up winning. Why couldn't he?
He could just imagine Ned back home screaming at him. His best friend had made him promise that he'd fight, and David would. But in his own way.
Cara was having similar thoughts. Ideally, she could have partnered with Chase but turned out that every bad rumor she heard was true and he'd most likely kill her. Beside a District partner, what was the point in interacting with others? If she allied with someone, she'd have to trust them enough to have her back. Trust them enough that she could comfortably fall asleep around them without fear of them slitting her throat in the middle of the night. She couldn't imagine forming a bond over the next three days of training with someone to trust them like that.
So, there was only one real route. Go it alone.
That thought made her want to scream. She didn't want to be doing this! She wouldn't to be home, spending her days reading or being with Audrey. She wanted to to wonder if the rumors were true and if Jason had a crush on her or not. She wanted everything except to be here, looking death in the face and having no real response to it other than to accept. Cara began to cry, sinking into the chariot so no one else could see.
As the Pack formed and other mopped, the remaining Tributes entered in groups. District 5 came together, Olivia practically dragging Aleko out with her. "You look fine!" She told him for maybe the tenth time.
"I look ridiculous." Aleko complained. Their costumes weren't the issue, though they did look dumb dressed up like yellow colored solos panels. Aleko took umbrage with the amount of makeup he had on. He was used to wearing make up in his former line of work, but he was wearing enough to last for days. The stylists had seen him and his sickly, alabaster skin and decided he needed "more life in those cheeks." So, they piled on so much rouge he looked like a clown. They must have been new.
"I mean… maybe you can lean into that?" Olivia joked.
Aleko barked out a laugh. "Fear my rosy cheeks, Careers."
"Was that an attempt at a joke? Look at you loosening up!" Olivia smiled, punching one of Aleko's skinny arms lightly. "Come on, lets go meet people."
"Once again, I think we need to be careful with this."
"And we overruled you because you realized I'm smarter." She winked. "We need to lay the groundwork now and get in with people who can help us. I want us to walk into that training center with a plan!"
"I get that. I do." Aleko replied, "But a good offense is a good defense. We shouldn't rush into anything or get bogged down with people who can harm us long term."
"And we won't. Trust me, Aleko. We're a team and I'm doing what's good for us." Olivia said, before looping her arm in his to escort him to the chariots. Aleko was actually happy with his partner. In some ways, Olivia reminded him of Ciera, or at least the good parts that Ciera allowed him to see. His ex was full of mysteries, but there was a strong conviction in her… until the end. Olivia reminded him of that, of the good that Ciera promised him existed in people.
'Or maybe that was just the Morphling talking for her.' Aleko thought glumly, his mood souring again.
As both of them had discussed on the train, Olivia guided them to District 6. Amadeus and Sarah stood next to each other awkwardly, dressed up like teal color tires. It was not a flattering look. Olivia approached them with a smile, while Aleko, true to form, cautiously analyzed them. Amadeus, tall and with lean muscle, watched them approach without much expression. Up close, Aleko could make out the faint scar along his left ear that makeup hadn't been able to full cover. Based on the angle and depth, Aleko would guess it was from a knife. Sarah, on the other hand, approached them warmly. "Good evening." She said, "How are you both doing?"
"Fine. I'm Olivia and this is Aleko." Olivia began for them.
"Sarah."
"Amadeus." The boy said, looking to Aleko. "You volunteered to come here?"
"I did." Aleko said.
"Why?"
"My boyfriend got Reaped. I couldn't let him die."
Amadeus felt himself relax. "Damn. Wish I had a boyfriend like you." He joked. Aleko laughed at it, but it was fake, one he'd given to many a client to calm them. Just because Amadeus was gay they were supposed to be friends? Aleko's loyalty was to Olivia in the Games. This was her plan, so he let her do the talking.
"Don't we all?" Olivia continued. "But, most of us don't so here we are. District 5 is looking for allies and I think we could get along."
"That sounds very nice." Sarah said.
"As long as we're not allying with Careers, I'm down." Amadeus said. "Course, I guess we need to see what everyone can do in the Training center."
The conversation stopped though as a hush fell over the hangar. The doors had opened and the Honor Guard Peacekeepers entered, dragging in a partially sedated Poe. The gold cloaked Peacekeepers, eyes forward and silent, showed little care as they brought Poe to the District 3 chariot and propped her up inside of it, shooing the Career Pack and Chase away from the chariot and towards District 1 and 2s. Eddie followed behind them, scared of all the eyes that were on him, judging him probably for being associated with Poe. Or his outfit. District 3 got the color pink for some reason, and both of them were dressed in hot pink spandex that glowed brightly whenever they moved.
"A-are you going to drug her for the interviews too?" Eddie asked. He quivered though when a Peacekeeper, who towered over the fourteen year old, snapped his helmed head back. Eddie looked into the dark visor, black as night and emotionless, before looking away. They left him with Poe, who was muttering something and looking around the hangar slowly.
"I want to go home." He muttered.
Olivia was suddenly caught up with sympathy by the scene. She also noticed Sarah looking with concern, while the boys talked amongst themselves. He was so young at fourteen, and suddenly Olivia had a horrific flash of her sister, almost the same age, being here instead. And who knew what was going with his convict partner?
"How do we feel about expanding our alliance right now?" Olivia asked.
Aleko was quick to figure out who she meant, looking Eddie over from a distance. "Maybe…" he replied cautiously.
"We need strong allies." Amadeus replied. Just one look at Eddie, looking beat down and defeated already, caused a wave of unpleasant memories for Amadeus. He really did not need Eddie acting as a reminder of the past for the whole Games.
"Strength comes in different shapes and sizes." Olivia countered. "We don't know what he's capable of yet."
A flash of a fist in his face, a feeling of a burning on his back, the sound of a belt slipping loose… Amadeus didn't need a lecture on strength. "There's only one kind of strength that will win us the Games. I don't think he has it."
"Maybe someone else, Olivia." Aleko tried to reason. "How about we talk to Ola from 7? She looks formidable."
"I'm happy to. But I got a feeling about Eddie." Olivia replied, before nodding her head in confirmation. "I'm making an executive decision. He's in. What I'd say about trust, Aleko?"
He just shook his head but didn't say anything more as she walked over to the boy. Aleko liked Olivia, but knew who she was. A rich girl from a rich family in the District brought low by politics. She was tough for sure, and there was an edge to her that Aleko liked and respected. But there was also a naïveté she carried that Aleko had lost a long time ago. She had spent her younger years well off and while she had been busting her butt working since her family's downfall, she still had that mindset that only money could buy.
Eddie was sweet, but Aleko knew they had to be realistic. He simply wouldn't do, and Aleko would have to sit Olivia down and talk to her about it when the time came. For now, he waited with Amadeus and Sarah as Olivia approached Eddie.
"Hey there, Eddie right?" She asked him. The young boy's eyes shot up, startled that someone was speaking to him.
"Yes, hi, I'm Eddie."
"Olivia." She said, extending her hand for him to shake. He took it gladly. She seemed nice and, Eddie was embarrassed to think, very pretty. And she was a seventeen year old, speaking to him!
"Do you wanna come hang out with us?" She asked, gesturing towards three other older Tributes. The other girl, Sarah, looked nice, but the boys seemed a bit more standoffish. Plus, one of them was that really creepy looking sick guy, Aleko. Sensing discomfort, Olivia was quick to act. "I promise nobody bites. Except me, but I promise I got it under control."
Eddie laughed a little, unsure of himself. "You guys wouldn't mind?"
"Of course not!"
"Does… does this mean you want to ally?"
"Only if you want to. We're looking to form a group. Bet you could help us."
He didn't need to be invited twice. Immediately he bounced up and was off to greet the others, leaving a stammering Poe behind.
Not that Poe noticed. She was lost in a haze as she had been since the Goodbyes, continuously drugged by Peacekeepers. They told her to expect it until she got to the Training Center and then into the Games proper. It was all very demeaning, especially since she was about to be on TV! What if Omar thought badly of her? If she looked like a mess, that bitch Evangeline would slither up to him and tell him all sorts of lies. She had already gotten to Poe's own parents!
She would never forgive her mom for saying all those lies at the Goodbyes. Never! Her rage was building, though her body was heavy and vision hazy. She wanted to scream, but couldn't seem to find the strength to open her mouth.
And in that dark rage, a light suddenly shined through.
Poe saw the most beautiful person in the world. An angel.
He was a giant among men, literally, towering over the other shapeless figures in her vision. For Poe, this angel was the only clear face. And then, their eyes met. Just briefly. He looked at her, deep brown eyes drilling into her. Her stomach flipped. It felt like when she first met Omar. A feeling more intoxicating than the drugs the Capitol had flowing through her veins.
And then he looked away.
What was his name again?
Chase! That was it. Chase from District 8.
Intoxicating!
From the sidelines, Alice watched things in silence. He observed the teams forming, the tensions that each person showed through the bodies, the personalities each person exhibited. The Career Pack forming was given, but Chase from 8 being so bold and leaving his partner? Meanwhile, the District 8 girl was all tears, though did an admirable job trying to hide. Otherwise, District 5 and 6 teaming up was hardly original, but Alice did notice some discomfort when Olivia brought back that scrawny boy from 3.
Nearby, the doors to the hanger opened and Alice saw Ruddy, the boy from 11, entering alone. Curious. Everyone else had come in with their partner, except for Ruddy. Clearly his partner was trying to distance herself from him, a smart play. Reko actually laughed out loud when he saw Ruddy, a laugh that echoed across the high ceiling of the hanger and made it sound as though the whole place was laughing at him. Ruddy glumly trudged to his chariot and a minute later Daisy appeared. District 11 was dressed in orange this year and like pieces of corn.
Daisy, noticing the boy from 9 lurking the corner, didn't give him a look. He seemed… creepy. Best to keep her distance. She scanned the hanger and, not eager to join Ruddy just yet, tried to figure out who to speak to. She was the last one in the hanger it seemed and already groups were forming. Maybe it would be better to wait until tomorrow when everyone was in Training? Nobody else really seemed that interested in talking. The Careers were packed together, so were the Middle Districts, and the Outliers didn't seem too chatty. District 10's Tributes, dressed in a rather macabre outfits of butchers with their assigned color of red, were happily chatting with one another. District 12, dressed in black and covered in black smudges with fake pickaxes hanging around their necks, were too, though the girl Marianna seemed to be doing much of the talking while Pan was happy to listen. That left District 9, or just Millie, who was already walking towards her, all smiles.
"Hi! I'm Millie! Isn't this so exciting?" She blurted out. District 9 had gotten the ugly color of brown and their stylists clearly didn't know what to do with it. They had tried to make some sort of suit that made it look like brown bread covered each of her limbs, but it came out looking more like turds covered her.
"Um… Daisy. And yes, I guess exciting is a word for all this."
Millie squealed with delight. "To think, you and I are standing here, in the Capitol! The Capitol! I know some kids back home who would be so jealous right now!"
"Do… do you like the Capitol?"
"You don't?"
Trying to be polite, Daisy deflect. "Sure. Just… the Games are terrifying."
Millie nodded solemnly, almost in reverence. "Anything this daunting certainly is. Representing our entire District in the Games? The privilege is just…" she cut off, causing Daisy to raise her eyebrows in surprise. Was she about to cry? Sure enough, she did. "It's just such an honor. I'm so proud."
In her head, Daisy could hear her sister Jenna screaming at her to get away from this loon. "Well, I'll see you around."
"Oh wait, do you wanna be allies?" Millie asked.
"Um… I don't know. I have to check with my partner, Ruddy." She lied.
"Ok! I'll see you tomorrow in the Training Center! Ah! The Training Center! I can't, I just can't!"
Millie ran back to her chariot, or skipped back was more apt. With nowhere else to go, Daisy returned to the District 11 chariot, where Ruddy was looking at her funny. "Making friends?" He asked.
Daisy shot him a look. "Not really. Maybe with someone else." She said. They hadn't spoken since she left him crying on the coach last night, and she could tell he was peeved. "Are you looking for allies?"
"Are you out of your mind? Every single person in here, including you, is out for themselves." Ruddy said, unable to believe that Daisy couldn't see this. "Everyone here is a wolf, ready to devour us. The only way to go is go it alone."
"Ok." Daisy said simply. Hopefully tomorrow would go better on the allies front.
'Tributes of the 58th Hunger Games, mount up and take your marks!'
The massive doors of the hanger opened, letting in the sounds of an eager crowd and blaring orchestra. The Tributes got into their respective and with a crack of a whip from the Peacekeepers, the horses were off. Each Tribute left the hanger brimming with emotions and nerves, in their own ways, for what came next.
Next Up: Training Day 1
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