Author's Note: Here we go, the AU Third Quarter Quell. If you look closely in Chapter 10 of 'The Strongest Among Them', we've already 'met' this victor.

….

The Seventy-Fifth Annual Hunger Games, The Third Quarter Quell: Paulus Fabian, District Two (18)

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

The loud voice came from the front, immediately after District Two's escort finished the name of the boy she had reaped. But there was no opportunity for him to appear on stage or for the call for volunteers to be made. It was a foregone conclusion, and the entire district knew it. There was no need to waste time on formalities and tradition. Paulus Fabian was District Two's male tribute in the Quarter Quell.

He walked up to the stage, and met eyes with Brutus, his mentor, who just smirked, shook his head and muttered something about impatience. He took his place next to the escort, standing proud, facing his district. His female counterpart, Hera Valentina, turned to him, shook his hand and the pair raised their arms, hands clasped together and District Two cheered for them. They were going to win the Quarter Quell.

The other reapings did nothing to dampen Paulus' spirits or knock his confidence. Not even when he listened to his mentor's musings about how confident District Four's victors looked that year. Paulus knew they wouldn't win. He would ally with them and find out just how good they really were, but they wouldn't be the ones coming home, because he knew he would. District Two was bringing home the victory.

It did not matter that all the other tributes were also eighteen. Twelve's tributes would always be skinny, underfed and stunted in growth and this year was no different. Eleven delivered up a broad, strong boy whilst the girl was rake thin, just as the pairs from Nine and Ten were. Eight's boy looked sickly, but the girl had some determination behind her eyes that he would keep watch on.

Seven had managed a well-fed pair and Paulus watched as their victors all stood that bit taller. District Six was the complete opposite. The girl was missing a hand and the boy stood coughing violently on the stage. Their victors sat behind them and cringed. They looked bored in Five, or maybe the people were hot standing in the sun, but their tributes looked better than most of the field so far. District Three was always a mystery and Brutus and Lyme told him to be mindful of their hidden capabilities because nobody else quite understood them. He would decide how good District One's pair were when they met, but they would be allies regardless. They weren't going to deliver a weak pairing in a Quarter Quell year.

He knew what to expect when he arrived in the Capitol. He rolled up his sleeves, tidied his hair and raised Hera's hand as they stepped off the train as if already signalling their victory. They planned to become the final two, something his district had gone too long without achieving. Then the best fighter would win, and Paulus was sure it would be him. Hera put up the best fight against him out of all the other candidates, but he was stronger, and he would win out.

They had a plan for the parade, and they followed it exactly. They were dressed as gladiators, wearing dark silver armour with swords attached to their sides. As the anthem reached its second chorus, they raised their joined hands once more and the crowd loved it.

"Raise the swords. They'll love it," Paulus told his district partner through their raised arms.

In perfect synchronicity, District Two's pair removed the swords from their sheaths and raised them, the blades crossing at the top as the city circle audience screamed their names. Paulus saw the pinched looks on the faces of District Four's victors and he knew it was his first victory. A minor one compared to what he knew would come, but it was one point for District Two and second place for District Four.

Paulus stepped off the chariot at the parade's end and found the pair from District One watching him and Hera in envy. This was normally their place to shine but this year, District Two had taken pride of place. Behind them, Three's tributes looked afraid as found themselves staring at Paulus and Hera who had turned to look past them to their rivals and allies in Four. The Threes were in the middle of a stand-off between four of the strongest tributes who had fast realised who their greatest rivals were.

But Paulus was not afraid. He knew he would be intimidating, and he was not about to shy away from that. He was tall and muscular, not quite on the same level as Brutus in the Forty-Ninth Games but the closest Two has had in stature since and he was going to use it to his advantage.

The sponsors loved him, and Brutus and Lyme informed their tributes of their early popularity before the first day of training. They were to use the knowledge that they were already the most popular to take control of the career pack and put on a display for the other tributes to cement their position. Two was dominant and it was going to take the best performance to surpass them. The other tributes could be left with no doubt that coming home was out of their reach.

By the end of that first day in training, his work with his allies was done. The Ones fell in line almost immediately and with the weight of two-thirds of the alliance together, the Fours had no choice but to get behind him as their leader. Paulus had everything just as he wanted. It was his volunteer alliance, and they would do his bidding. Hera would be at his side, but it was his game to control.

The other tributes would bend to his whim too. He could pick them off in any order he chose. He did not want to become complacent but from what he had seen from the others, there was nobody who posed a serious threat. The Sevens looked strong so he would try to take out at least one of them immediately so there would not be an alliance of district partners later on in the Games when they would all be tired. Eight's girl was having reasonable success with the knives and Brutus had told him that Cecelia would help her girl further. His overriding impression of the District Three pair was that they weren't hiding anything special. There was an air of panic around them as they tried various weapons, usually with little success. The pair from Five were worth keeping a watch over and it was never wise to ignore an older, stronger boy from Eleven, but Paulus knew he would prevail.

This was what he had been working for. Years of dedication at the Institute, learning every weapon he could get his hands on. He was an all-rounder, the best since Marcus, and probably better than Marcus, since the younger man had watched his Games keenly and evaluated the victor's performance. He had beaten him in training now too. It had taken weeks of practice and sparring but before his final evaluation, he overpowered Brutus' first victor. Brutus himself was a challenge he could not best, but nobody could, and he was evenly matched with Lyme who still kept up an impressive regime. But fighting them had led Paulus to the Capitol, where he knew he was weeks away from joining their ranks.

….

His boy was good. The best since Marcus, maybe even the best since his own Games. So, Brutus knew he was right to be confident. Mags was holding her cards unusually close to her chest which made Brutus think that at least one of her pair could cause trouble, but he was confident in his boy.

His relaxed confidence drew sponsors towards him in their droves. From the very first meet on the first morning of training, Brutus was the most popular man in the room. The Capitol wanted to offer Paulus their support and Brutus would take every penny of it. This was a Quarter Quell, and Brutus knew that alone could not be underestimated. If Paulus found himself in a difficult spot, it would be Brutus' own work from the outside that could keep his boy going.

His good fortune continued at the evening's champagne reception. He drank and danced with various sponsors, both regular and new, charming them into pledging their support for the boy who had the best chance of becoming their next victor.

"Someone's happy," Lyme said as she pulled him into a dance, another trick to show off District Two's flair in a Quarter Quell year.

"You would be too if you had my boy, my sponsor numbers, oh and the boy's odds," he laughed.

"Well don't forget who's right alongside you."

"This is Two's year."

"I know. Let's keep it that way."

"You're particularly determined too," Brutus added.

"With your boy and my girl, there's no excuse not to be. A win will get us back on a good footing. It's been a rocky year," she sighed.

"You did seem on edge a few months back."

"I could tell things were tense and you know I don't like uncertainty."

"So that's what you want back."

"Certainty, yes. And a Two win. It's going to be our Institute, Brutus. Cleo's retiring and a win would set us up well."

….

"Paulus, how are you feeling, my boy? Your last night here in the Capitol," Caesar Flickerman began.

"I'm good, Caesar, really good. It's my last night in the Capitol for now. I'll be back before you know it."

"Ah! We have some confidence! Tell me more."

"I can win this, and I will win this, what more is there to say?"

"Your opponents?"

"They don't phase me. I respect their bravery, but I'm the one going home with the win."

"Yes, home, tell me more."

"I love District Two and our spirit. It's what I'll be taking into the arena with me. I'm going to win the Quarter Quell for them."

"Two hasn't won a Quarter Quell yet," Caesar reminded him.

"And I need to put that right."

"But there's someone else from Two who will be with you."

"There is. Hera will be right alongside me."

"An alliance!"

"As ever, Caesar. Hera and I are strong. She'll be by my side throughout."

"But there has to come a time, Paulus. She can't be by your side the whole time. A clever boy like you, one so confident, knows that there is only one victor this year."

"I know. But Hera will be at my side until the final two. That's our plan, Caesar. To guarantee that District Two takes home the Quarter Quell victory."

"So, you reach the finale, then what? Tell me."

"I can't reveal all my secrets, can I?" Paulus laughed. "But we will fight it out in the best way possible. Like District Two does. Hera and I will fight nobly. We deserve each other's respect and our best."

"And your best is what you're going to give!"

"I'm going to win, Caesar."

….

He found Brutus holding a white envelope in his hand upon his return from the interview with Caesar.

"What's this?" Paulus asked.

"We're under instructions from up high. Well, you and Hera are, although the letters come through Lyme and me."

"I have a job to do?"

"Yes. You are both to target the tributes from Twelve. Kill them. At the first opportunity you have and don't make a show of it," Brutus said as he passed the envelope to Paulus.

"But?"

"But nothing. It's an order. You follow it. Besides, it should be easy, should it not?"

"Of course, boss. And yes, I can't imagine it will be difficult."

….

He was calm and focused as he stood on the pedestal and the tube sealed around him. There was no going back. This was what he was waiting for.

With seconds to go, Paulus directed his mind to what he had been practising, the scenarios he had been envisaging. He visualised the run to the Cornucopia first. Statistically, it would be a one-hundred-metre sprint over a flat terrain, but as this was a Quarter Quell, he decided not to rule anything out. He imagined arriving first, to a bounty of weapons and survival supplies. He would take his pick of the weapons, a sword at first instance, and get to work, starting with the pair from Twelve, of course. After the cannon fodder had been eliminated, he could direct his allies to secure the Cornucopia and take their pick of the remaining supplies.

But Paulus was right to realise that this was a Quarter Quell and whilst he did not let the shock show on his face, he was surprised and slightly concerned at the environment he found himself in. As his pedestal rose into the arena, he could smell the salt water and was taken aback when it lapped at his feet as the twenty-four tributes stood in a perfect circle surrounding the Cornucopia.

Paulus had found himself in District Four territory. He glanced around to find the pair from Four and saw the boy looking delighted at his surroundings. The girl was evidently on the opposite side of the Cornucopia. He could not see her. It was hot too, perhaps too hot for Paulus' liking and his chances of arriving at the Cornucopia first were slim.

He would have to rethink his plans. Immediately to his left stood the girl from District Twelve. Paulus laughed quietly to himself; this would be easy. The girl had been handed to him on a plate, a sacrificial offering of sorts. But when would he make his move? The orders were to act quickly. He could launch himself towards her pedestal, pull her into the water and overpower her immediately. That would finish the job required of him and allow him to move on to the real task. But it would delay his arrival at the Cornucopia when it was already likely that District Four would arrive first. He could not risk ceding control to them.

Nevertheless, he doubted that many of the tributes could swim and looking at the faces of most of those who surrounded him, he believed he was correct in his estimation. Paulus' alliance would be picking them off as they remained stranded on their pedestals.

The countdown started and Paulus focussed immediately. He would dive in, and swim to approximately halfway before veering left to the nearest spoke. He decided it was best to retrieve a weapon first, in case he did have to enter a melee without weapons in the chaos of the first minutes. His fists and strength would be good enough, but he needed to minimise the risk of injury.

The seconds counted down and Paulus' heart pounded with excitement. The gong sounded and he dived in. There was no hesitation in his approach as he entered the water and began to swim, thankful for Ember's lessons in the weeks leading up to this moment. He reached the spoke and was not surprised to find himself alone, so he ran straight to the mouth of the Cornucopia.

As Paulus expected, both of Four's tributes were already making their way through the weapons and picking out their first choices.

District Four's boy greeted him warmly, "I'd say hurry and grab something, but it looks like we have time."

Both boys looked around to find that other than the tributes from Two and Four, only the pair from One were in the water. But before Paulus could reply, Four's tributes scattered.

"Have a job to do. Be right back," the boy shouted, and Paulus watched as they split, and each aimed towards the tributes from District Eleven. He and Hera were not the only tributes under orders.

Paulus decided to carry out his duty too so once the Ones were on shore, he left and headed back to the girl from Twelve.

It was easy in the end. The girl struggled against his grip as he hauled her into the water and she writhed around more than he would have liked, but her neck snapped quickly, and she began to float towards the shore. Paulus moved to the next spoke along to find the next tribute who had still not made it into the water.

….

Mags squeezed Seeder's shoulder as she entered the Mentors' Centre and watched as Chloe whispered her apologies. Eleven's woman had been around long enough to understand what this meant, and Mags knew she would not hold it against any of them.

She set her guilt aside and took her seat in between Noah and Finnick. She was to be the calming influence on the younger men. Noah was almost vibrating with nervous energy, confident in his boy and waiting in anticipation. Finnick hated mentoring and Mags knew she would be needed to ensure he did not spend every moment having his fun with the sponsors. It was her third Quarter Quell and she knew what she was doing. Her experience would be required to steady the ship.

Chloe and Coral sat behind the three of them and she could feel each of them relax as the arena came into view. They were right. Their tributes were going home. This was their terrain and whilst the Two boy had established dominance, he would have to defer to their pair's superior knowledge and experience of the water.

Their boy and girl smiled as they took in their surroundings. It would be hotter than they were used to, but they could keep cool in the water for longer than anyone else. They had practised combat in water too and Mags could see the weapons they favoured in clear view.

In fact, all Mags could see were weapons. That would be a concern. The alliance would need to leave the Cornucopia and cede control as soon as they needed water and given the temperatures displayed on their screens, that time would soon be upon them. They could not drink the saltwater surrounding them and Mags trusted her pair to know that and to advise their allies of the same.

But there had to be water elsewhere in the arena. It would be an obstacle to overcome but Four always ensured their tributes were the most resourceful of the careers. Leading the alliance to water would help prove their children's superiority and stand them in good stead for whatever else came their way.

….

But in the arena, Paulus and his allies could not find water. They had whittled down the field efficiently at the bloodbath, picking off those who were left stranded at their pedestals, too frightened to float their way to the Cornucopia or to shore. The Ones targeted those who made the Cornucopia, unaware of their surroundings and disorientated from the swim. They had killed eleven tributes between them, leaving only thirteen remaining. Six were in their alliance so there were only seven more for the volunteers to find.

They left the Cornucopia because they had to. They scoured the island for supplies and drinking water but found nothing. It was hot and humid. They knew the jungle would be worse but if there was no water on the island, it had to be in the jungle. But they waded through the foliage, alert to anything which may indicate proximity to fresh water, or other tributes, and found nothing.

Night began to fall as District Seven's tributes were the first to find water. Tired, overheated and short-tempered, the girl swung an axe into a tree and was met with a slow stream of water flowing from where she had cut into the trunk. Her counterpart began to collect the water in the leaves that surrounded them, and the pair drank until the stream began to dry up.

By the time midnight arrived, the volunteer alliance was dehydrated and taking it in turns to sleep and keep watch. They had managed to find a food source in the nuts scattered among the foliage, but it was not doing anything to quench their thirst.

"We go back to the island tomorrow," Paulus announced to whichever of his allies was still awake.

Four's boy responded quickly, "We won't be able to drink the water, but we can try to fish. There has to be more than this to manage from."

Their conversation was interrupted by twelve chimes which woke the rest of the alliance from their slumber. Paulus was on his feet quickly, anticipating an immediate shift in their environment, but nothing came. Across the arena, lightning repeatedly struck the same tree, but nothing happened where the alliance was resting.

"Avoid that tree. We'll move in the morning," Paulus announced. "I'm going to sleep. Hera will watch."

….

"He's confident, he's in control. The alliance is intact, and they haven't had to deal with the arena yet," Lyme said as they arrived at the Mentors' Centre the next morning.

"But they haven't moved from last night. They're about to be in the active hour."

"We're never going to be able to control everything. We have the funds to deal with both of them having minor injuries at this point."

"I'd rather we avoided that, and they really should have realised."

"Brutus, it's only obvious because we've seen the whole arena. They heard twelve chimes and then nothing happened. I don't think I would have figured it out yet."

"I suppose you're right."

"I know I am," Lyme laughed. "I know it's important. We both want this win and we're going to get it."

….

Hera noticed some unusual birds gathering in the trees directly above her allies. She gathered her weapons and immediately woke Paulus, pointing to the creatures above her.

"Don't startle them, but I think we need to move."

"I don't like the look of their beaks."

Their conversation had woken up Four's boy who was rousing his district partner, "Mutts," he announced.

The second Paulus stepped forward to lead his allies back towards the Cornucopia, one of the birds swept in and took the knife he was holding.

He replaced it with another from his belt but said, "Hold onto everything, tight. We leave now."

The motion of all six volunteer tributes brought the birds down on them in force. Their knives and swords were thrown to the floor and when the tributes tried to retrieve them, the birds attacked, biting, and scratching them viciously. District Four's boy was wrestling with one to keep hold of his spear whilst the girl from One had her strongest hand bitten and was bleeding heavily.

"Run! Faster!" Paulus shouted as he managed to retrieve his swords and drive one through the body of one of the birds.

Seeing this, District Four's boy wrestled his weapons free and managed to run through two of the birds with his spear before catching up to Paulus, calling for the others to follow in their path.

They made it back to the shore before Paulus stopped them and immediately told them to be quiet. District Five's tributes were washing themselves in the water as it turned a strange shade of pink around them. As the volunteers approached them, they found out that Five's tributes were covered in thick blood.

"Four, you're with us," Paulus announced quietly. "One, sort that hand."

The four volunteers had the advantage of numbers and launched a surprise attack, making easy work of Five's startled and terrified tributes. Two cannons fired and there were eleven tributes remaining. Paulus knew that his alliance had already done enough for the second day but stopped to confer with Hera and the pair from Four.

"We know we're the stronger of us. When the time's right, we get them."

"The Ones?" Four's girl replied.

"Of course. There's a reason I left them behind. She's already bleeding. We'll manage longer with these scratches than she will with that hand. He'll stand by her too. You with me?"

"Got it." Four's boy replied and shook Paulus' hand whilst the girls provided cover.

….

"It's fine," Mags said to Noah and Finnick.

"He's made the right move," Noah confirmed whilst Finnick looked towards Cashmere and Gloss and shrugged, "Might be entertaining and Two might turn on us straight after."

"Finn, he's got this, and your girl will follow."

"She'll be the weakest of the four and my mentoring duties will be over."

Mags looked unimpressed, "Sponsors. Be useful."

It was a rare day that Finnick didn't immediately follow Mags' instructions, so he left the Mentors' Centre, taking Noah with him. It would be a quiet few hours for their tributes now that they had provided the Games' only excitement so far. Mags knew this and Finnick knew that she would be keeping him in check and decided not to make it difficult for her. He was best with the sponsors and even after his girl inevitably died, it would be where he would spend his time, championing Noah's boy for the win.

….

It was a quiet day for the volunteers after they dispatched Five's tributes. The pair from Four taught them how to fish with the limited supplies they had around them and they ate a substantial amount for the first time since they entered the arena. They played games on the beach, ran around and took naps in the sand, taking it in turns to watch, until a flurry of well-timed sponsor gifts from each of their mentors indicated that they should leave the beach.

One of those gifts was a spile, sent in by Noah, frustrated at their inability to find water. He hoped that their tributes would figure it out first and was relieved as they left the beach and headed across the arena, into the trees given a note left for Paulus suggested it was time they departed.

Within the hour, the clock struck ten and a tsunami hit the sector they were just occupying. Each of the careers realised they had a lucky escape.

"We were too complacent. We're dehydrated and losing our heads. Too long in one space and we've just had to be saved by our mentors. Get back in the game," he shouted. "What do you have there anyway Four, you've been staring at it for ages."

"I think I know," Four's boy said and confirmed silently with his district partner.

"Go on then!" Paulus shouted. "What is it?"

"Our way to find water," Noah's boy confirmed before turning sharply to the nearest tree whilst Finnick's girl watched his back.

Sure enough, after knocking the spile further into the tree trunk, sap flowed from the mouth and the careers fought each other to scramble for their first taste of water in two days. Once they were all finished, Four's boy was careful to make sure he was the one who kept hold of the spile. That could lead things in his favour if the alliance split. It could also make him a target, but he was on the same page as his district partner. Whilst he believed Paulus was right in his aim to get rid of the Ones, Four's tribute knew that if it got heated, One would ally with them as the more amiable allies. He would play both sides and hope it worked to his advantage.

Paulus noticed his ally's eagerness to retain the spile and decided to note it but save that argument for later. Besides their mentors' intervention, they had enjoyed a successful two days whittling down the field and he remained in control.

Day three was uneventful for all the tributes apart from the boy from Nine who met his end at the claws of the arena's mutts. The careers watched as the hovercraft reached down several times to pick up the remains of the boy's body.

"Let's avoid whatever that is," Hera said.

"Avoid that area, the tree that gets hit by lightning and the part of the beach we were on yesterday, but only at night. The Fives were covered in blood too and there weren't any other canons, so it wasn't a tribute's blood. That's got to have come from somewhere."

"Different parts of the arena have different traps. It's just figuring out where and when."

Suddenly Paulus ran through the trees towards the shore, leaving his allies in his wake. He stopped and studied the centre of the arena, noting each spoke and the positioning of their pedestals surrounding the Cornucopia.

"It's a clock," he announced. "Get back to the Cornucopia. Nothing's happened there and we can watch."

As the hours passed, the volunteer alliance decided that Paulus was right. They heard noises progress around the arena, the sounds of insects, birds, and the tsunami at ten, and they decided to sleep after seeing the repeated lightning strikes at midnight when Paulus' suspicions were confirmed.

They woke up with a start the following morning to find the arena moving from underneath them. The Cornucopia began spinning with increasing pace with each revolution, leaving the six tributes holding on with all their strength. The girl from One's wound on her hand ripped open once more and she screamed as she was thrown into the water. By the time the spinning stopped, only the young men from Two and Four remained latched onto the Cornucopia. The others were frantically trying to reach the nearest spoke and cough up the water they had taken in.

As soon as they gathered themselves, Paulus led his alliance away from the main island and back into the jungle, to take in more water and not be led into another false sense of security. Every time they tried to settle, the arena answered back, and he was determined to take control.

"We find them. Get this done," he whispered to Hera who confirmed her agreement.

So, the alliance trekked through the jungle, looking for any trace of the remaining tributes, stopping regularly for rest and water as the temperatures within the arena appeared to increase even further. Suddenly, they were unable to move any further and once again, the arena moved and groaned under their feet before sudden gusts of wind threw them into the trees.

Gale force winds developed and whipped up around them, and the alliance found themselves using all their strength to hold onto the nearest tree they could. But the girl from One found her strength lacking and she was unable to continue holding on. The wind continued to pick up and she lost her grip. She was thrown away from the tree and into the forcefield. Her cannon sounded immediately.

Paulus almost smiled to himself but could not let her district partner see his face. It was the first of the more serious threats to meet their downfall and he felt as if he had taken a step closer to victory.

That feeling only continued the following morning when his alliance found the remaining three tributes together. Paulus recognised their intelligence in forming an alliance. They knew who was left and it was the only way to boost their chances against him and his volunteer pack.

Paulus led from the front as soon as the pair from Seven and the girl from Eight were in sight. He charged straight at the boy from Seven, knowing he would be the most challenging opponent and managed to knock him off balance. But Seven's boy was strong, for someone who lacked Paulus' training. Paulus knew the damage an axe could cause so he was cautious to dodge each blow and disarm the boy quickly. Once he had managed that, his victory was a matter of course.

He turned around to find Hera with her arms around the District Eight girl's neck, whilst One's boy stabbed her. The pair from Four were standing over the body of the girl from Seven. Paulus looked to the boy from Four and Hera and they knew what he meant instantly. As soon as Eight's girl was on the floor, Hera drove her knife into the boy from One's stomach as a spear landed in his chest.

But no sooner had the tributes realised who was left, the arena answered back. Lightning began to repeatedly strike the tree at twelve-o-clock and they felt an unnatural chill sweep across them as they realised that they had surely reached the finale. It was District Two versus District Four. But the arena was having its final say too.

They found insects rapidly crawling along the jungle floor and saw the birds they battled on the second day overhead before running to the Cornucopia. It appeared as if every sector of the arena had come to life at once.

District Two's tributes ran down the shore and waded through the shallow water before reaching a spoke and running as fast as they could, trying to outrun the insects, birds and the cold they could feel creeping up on them.

Paulus and Hera met each other's eyes, confirming their commitment to their plan. They found weapons strewn across the Cornucopia floor and each of the four tributes rearmed themselves before turning to face each other in a circle.

"This is it," Paulus confirmed. "Let's do this."

He charged the boy from Four whilst Hera ran at the girl. They collided almost simultaneously and were met with the sounds of metal hitting metal before they pulled apart once more. District Four's girl sliced at Hera's arm before finding Hera on the approach wielding a sword. She tried to move back, into longer range, but Hera was faster.

Paulus and Four's boy were more evenly matched. They exchanged blows, wearing each other down but without causing substantial damage. The tables turned when Paulus watched as Hera managed to kill the girl from Four and the cannon sounded. Four's boy responded in kind and they both hit the floor, clawing at each other's throats, pushing down whilst grappling to find a weapon. But Paulus was stronger and the final cannon for District Four sounded.

"Get up," Hera ordered.

Paulus complied, surprising himself at how willingly he obeyed his district partner's orders.

"I had my back turned. You could have got me then."

"But that's not how we play it. We're District Two. We're better than that. We have an agreement and I expect you to honour it."

"We've won," Paulus said. "District Two has won."

"They'll be proud of us, back at home," Hera smiled.

"Let's do what we came to do," Paulus said and walked towards Hera, his arm outstretched.

She met his hand and shook it firmly before they each took three steps back and re-armed themselves, their eyes never leaving the other. With a sword in their right hand, they drew a fist and tapped against their hearts twice, a gesture they had learnt from the Institute before beginning.

To Paulus' surprise, it was Hera who made the first move, dodging the knife he had found from what looked like nowhere and landing a blow of her own towards his hip.

He removed the knife before responding in kind, grazing her dominant arm. They went blow for blow for several rounds before they were left with only their swords, both of them too close to pick up one of the longer-range weapons on the floor nearest to them.

They danced around each other, sword meeting sword, each of them meeting their opponent's skin on almost alternative blows. They were bleeding heavily, and Paulus knew he had to end this unless he wanted to meet his end by hundreds of tiny bleeding wounds from their battle.

With a roar, he moved in and slashed at Hera's side. She moved in and caught his leg but to Paulus' relief, he realised it was not going to be a fatal blow. He charged once more, meeting her arm and kicking out so she lost her balance.

Hera battled desperately, reaching out at Paulus's face, pulling at his shoulder where she had landed a particularly nasty blow, but the pain seemed to spur on her district partner's attack. He managed to relieve Hera of her sword before driving his own blade across her throat and the final cannon sounded.

Paulus lay on the floor, bleeding heavily as he watched a hovercraft appear over him. He raised the arm still holding the sword in victory and screamed. He was the victor of the Third Quarter Quell. He had brought victory and pride to his home. He had done what he came to do, what he knew he could do, and he was going home.