Thank you to Very New To This and Paradigm of Writing for the reviews! I'm responding to them today, I was just excited to get this chapter out and move the story along!

Alright! Quick little appetizer before the main course. I hope everyone takes a moment to leave a review with your predications for the Games: Bloodbaths and Victors! Let's see them folks!

Enjoy!

Chapter XVIII Eve of the Games

The Capitol

Across the Capitol, citizens were in full indulgence mode. Restaurants full, bars overflowing, and the streets swarmed with Capitolites out and about celebrating the start of the Hunger Games. For the fancier Capitolites, opulent and well catered dinner parties were held, the most exclusive being a garden party at the President's Mansion, where only the elite citizens of the Capitol such as the President and his closest advisors, the Head Gamemaker and his dearest sycophants, and titans of Capitol politics and society mingled.

Not the Tributes though. After their interviews they had whisked back to sequestration in their opulent apartments. They could spend their last nights outside the arena doing what they pleased, within the confines of their apartment though.

Reko, high off his successful interview, decided to indulge as well back in District 1's apartments.

"And what about the braised lamb?" He asked, speaking into a telephone. "That and the mash potatoes with asparagus… Yes, I know I ordered a ribeye too, bring it all! And don't forget the branzino! And the flan!"

As he hung up the phone, Lana watched him with disgust. "Isn't that all a bit much?" She asked from the living room couch.

Reko shrugged. "The branzino might be. But the name was so fun I just had to order it. Sure you don't want anything?"

Lana scoffed, turning away from Reko. He had already ordered a bunch of food and only eaten bits of it. A whole roasted chicken was going cold on the table and he was ordering more. Disgusting.

She decided to focus on the tv in front of her. Claudius Templesmith had taken to the streets, chatting up Capitolites out and about on the town and asking them what they thought of the interviews and the odds of each Tribute. Lana felt a thrill run through her every time someone complimented her.

"Little tacky, don't you think?" Reko asked, mouth full of an assortment of foods. "Needing to listen to people compliment you."

"Didn't you come to the Reaping with a throng of your fans shouting your name?" Lana shot back.

"They came themselves!"

"Right…"

"You seem tense, nervous about tomorrow?"

"No." Lana lied. She was surprised that she was. Every criticism Aunt Katie had hurled at her was piling up in her mind now. Maybe she would die in the Bloodbath…

"Well you shouldn't be. You're not winning anyways." Reko said dismissively.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I am. It's destiny. You can't fight that."

"You're awful." Lana muttered.

"And you're a bore." Reko said. There was a ding and an Avox appeared, holding all the food Reko requested. "Ooh, seconds!" He shouted, leaving behind all the food on the table. Lana, with an angry huff, rose and retreated to her bedroom. She couldn't fight off Aunt Katie and Reko's negativity at once. "Night, night!" Reko called after her, before digging into the flan, ignoring the main courses in favor for the end of the meal.

District 2 Apartments

The second floor where District 2 was located offered a good view of the streets below. Estelle and Valdez watched Capitolites enjoying their nights, unconcerned with potential death the next day.

"Must be nice to be so carefree." Estelle commented.

"They deserve it, don't they?" Valdez questioned. "Winning the war, saving Panem from the Dark Days, yada yada."

Estelle frowned at him. "Don't joke about that."

"I'm not." Valdez said. "I respect the Capitol. I'm just not in love with them like you are. Or that girl from 9."

Estelle said nothing. She had felt off since yesterday and the malaise refused to leave her. Yannis' words were ringing in her head, like a distant bell in the night calling to her.

She silenced it quickly.

"We should kill the strong ones first like always." Estelle said. "Buck, Ola, and Olivia. Without Olivia, that alliance will splinter, and they'll be easy pickings."

"Ok." Valdez said simply. They had already talked about this with the rest of the Pack yesterday. Estelle left after that, returning to her room and leaving the party going Capitolites below behind. Valdez watched her carefully, also noticing the mood she'd fallen into. If she didn't have her head in the Games then he might have to step up early.

'Show the Capitol you're your own man and that when the time comes, you can do what's necessary.'

His father's words sprung up in his mind whenever he watched Estelle now. If he had to take action against her and unite the Careers behind him, Valdez felt he could. But only if these cracks in her leadership continued.

District 3 Apartments

Poe was already in bed, though anticipation for the Hunger Games refused to let her sleep. She had never imagined she'd be excited for the Games, yet here she was, jittery like the first time she and Omar had spent the day together.

She already had a plan in place. It was quite brilliant, she thought. A little payback for a certain someone first, and then her and Chase would fight in the arena together.

In the bedroom over, Eddie was also still awake, anxiety refusing to let him sleep. He was curled up between two massive pillows, the placement reminding him vaguely of when he was younger and sleeping between his mom and dad. He felt like a baby, but he also felt that the soft touch of the pillows on his body were the only things keeping him sane.

'Just stick by Olivia tomorrow. Don't leave her side and you'll be fine.' He kept telling himself, trying to hold back tears.

District 4 Apartments

"So sorry your scheme didn't work out. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be ok all by yourself."

Mara was taunting him before bed, enjoying his humiliation before the Capitol. Cean had ignored her for the car ride back to the apartments, but she was like a barracuda with its prey in sight. The insults had been relentless. As she headed off to bed and with death looking him in the eye tomorrow, he couldn't keep a retort down.

"You should have kept me in the alliance." He told her, looking her straight in the eye.

She looked back at him, contempt apparent in her gaze. "And why's that?" She asked, tone still mocking.

"Don't you get it? Without me, you're the weakest Career this year, Mara." Cean mocked. "The weak link. Unless you count Chase. Are you? Do you think that guy is on your level?"

Mara face went dark. She couldn't act on it though, a Peacekeeper was still standing by and would intervene. Instead she muttered a curse to him and went to her room, slamming the door loudly behind her.

It was a small victory, but Cean would take it. He wasn't expecting much tomorrow. He had already decided he was running from the Cornucopia too. He'd rather take his chances without supplies in the arena than spend a second around Mara in the open Games.

District 5 Apartments

"I liked the song."

Aleko smiled, looking up at Olivia. The two of them were sitting on the couch in the dark, just the television screen on to light things up. They had tried to go to sleep to no avail and ended up in the living room, practically lying on one another for support.

"Not too pitchy?" Aleko asked.

"No." Olivia replied, smiling back at him. "I can't sing to save my life. I'm a little jealous of you."

"You really shouldn't be." Aleko said, looking away. He stared vacantly at the TV screen, watching as cameras captured Capitolites out at bars and parties, celebrating the start of the Games the next day.

"Tell me what your life was like back in 5." Olivia said softly. "I want to know."

Aleko shifted uncomfortably, though Olivia leaned in, a shoulder resting on him for comfort. He gave in. What did he have to lose now? "Mom was an addict. Morphling mostly. Dumped me when I was little and died when I was sixteen. Not that it changed anything. I… drifted for a while, found ways to make money. Mostly with my body. Or selling drugs."

"That sounds so hard. I'm sorry."

Aleko shrugged. He thought about telling her about Ciera but came up short. He didn't want her to know everything about him. "I'm going to die tomorrow." He said.

"You don't know that. Anything can happen." Olivia comforted. She said it with such conviction, like everything else she said, that he almost believed it.

Aleko looked at her, pity for her delusion on his face. "Growing up rich must have been nice."

Olivia gave him a hard glare back, but didn't reply to or acknowledge the connotations. "Let's promise each other something. I win, I help Navajo. You win, you help my sister."

"What about your parents?"

"Screw them. I meant that in the interview. My sister matters most of all. Give her a future, Aleko, and I'll give Navajo one too."

They talked about their lives, where they lived, and where the family lived so they could find them. For that night, Aleko allowed himself to believe in dreams again, like he did when he was with Navajo.

And eventually they drifted off to sleep.

District 6 Apartments

A knock on Sarah's bedroom door roused her. Not that she was sleeping. She didn't imagine doing much of that tonight. She rose from the bed and went to the door, opening it to find Amadeus outside, looking lost in thought.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure." Sarah replied, sliding the door open further to him enter. Briefly, Sarah felt her heart flutter as he entered. She had never been alone in a bedroom with a boy before and, even given the circumstances, the experience was kind of exciting. Not that Amadeus seemed interested in her, or even girls. She had noted him checking out some of the more attractive male Peacekeepers when he thought no one was looking.

He stopped and gazed out the bedroom window, taking in the neon lights that dotted the cityscape of the Capitol just outside.

"It's beautiful, in a weird way." Amadeus commented. Sarah just murmured an agreement. He then turned to her, expression serious. "You're with me, right? You and I, like we agreed on the train?"

Sarah suddenly felt a great weight on her shoulders, as though she was now saddled with deciding something of monumental importance. As though her answer was going to influence the fate of others down the line. It most likely would. Maybe even her own?

"Yes. You and me." Sarah replied, before adding, with some force in her voice. "And Olivia, Aleko, and Eddie."

Amadeus kept silent for a little, gaze focused tightly on her. Whatever he thought of her answer he didn't show it on his face. "I think… I think so. Mostly."

He left just as quickly as he entered. Before he was gone, Sarah whispered softly. "I know about the poison."

Amadeus froze, yet said nothing. After a beat, he kept walking. Sarah heard the door to his room open and shut quickly.

She shut the door to her own room too, hoping she'd said the right things.

District 7 Apartments

"I oughta kick your ass!"

David panicked. "Ola, I'm sorry. It just slipped out!"

"It just slipped out that you and my entire District think I'm a murderer?!" Ola raged. She wasn't normally like this, but Ola suddenly felt like she was spinning out. The pressure and the terror of the Hunger Games, mixed with the months of ostracization back in 7, all of it was bubbling up and being unleashed on poor, hapless David.

"I'm sorry!" David said, near tears. "Just… just–"

"Just what?!"

"Please don't hurt me!" David screamed, slinking to the ground, crying. The request was like a bucket of ice water hitting her. Ola suddenly realized how close she had gotten to David, towering over the smaller boy and pinning him to the wall. Red faced and raging, she must have been a horrifying sight. And David, shy and overly polite, was clearly horrified.

Maybe she was a monster.

"David… I'm sorry." Ola said, kneeling down to him, the anger melting away. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just angry."

David wasn't looking at her, hands wiping away the tears. "Everyone said you killed Rua." He defended. "That you were mean and awful and that you broke up with him knowing he'd kill himself."

"That… that wasn't true." Ola confessed, the rage giving way to exhaustion. "He was cruel to me."

"What?"

"He…" Ola began, but came up short. She had never verbalized it, too ashamed. Her family had put it together themselves, and even that was too embarrassing to think about. To have them think she was weak. But now she was staring down the Games. What was so scary about the truth when the Hunger Game were next? "He was abusive towards me. For our entire relationship"

"H-he hit you?" David asked, shocked.

"No. No, it wasn't like that." Ola clarified. "He would use words to cut me down. Made me feel pathetic. Things about my looks, my family, my lack of friends. He made me feel worthless and like I couldn't live without him."

"But… but he wasn't hitting you?"

Ola felt a spike of anger return. "No. It wasn't like that."

David looked at her, genuine confusion on his face. "How is that abuse though? He just said mean things to you…"

In that moment, Ola's every fear was realized. People would just assume abuse was one thing and one thing only, just like David. Even though Rua kept her locked into a relationship by constantly telling her that he'd kill himself if she left him, they'd just view her as the bad guy. Always. They'd never understand it.

Ola rose and left David behind. She had other things to worry about.

District 8 Apartments

He kept knocking at her door. He wouldn't leave, Cara realized, too busy trying to squeeze out some final evil into this world before the Hunger Games.

"Caaaaaaraaaaa…." Chase called from outside her bedroom door. The knocking continued. "The Hunger Games are tomorrow… are you ready to die?"

"Go away!" Cara shouted, hoping the lock on her door would hold.

"Are you going to try that tomorrow?" Chase laughed. "'Oh please, please! I'm so pathetic and ugly and weak and scared! Please don't kill me crazy bitch from 3! Please go away, Valdez! Please stop, Chase!"

Cruel laughter erupted from behind the door and the knocking continued. Cara pulled pillows over her ears, hoping to block out the taunts.

Even through the pillows, she could hear the muffled sound of a knock.

District 9 Apartments

Millie was still riding high from her interview. The whole night had been everything she ever wanted and more! She could just imagine everyone back at Capitol's Mercy freaking out about her being on TV! She was so excited to get back and see their faces.

'The Capitol saw how good I was! What a model citizen should be from 9! And they'll never forget it, or me!' she thoughttriumphantly. She had good allies and no doubt sponsors to boot. She was ready.

Alice was next door in his bedroom, always feeling pleased. Everything had gone according to plan. And nobody, especially not his fellow Tributes, would see what was coming…

District 10 Apartments

"What are you doing?"

Buck spun around, noticing Hayley in the doorframe of his bedroom. He had been pinned up against his window, looking up towards the night sky. "Trying to see the stars." He said, craning his neck to try and see something out the window. "But I can't. Why do you think that is?"

Hayley shrugged. "Because it's the Capitol? Maybe stars are out of fashion?"

Buck chuckled. "Never had this problem back home. That's the only thing I liked about waking up so early. It was still dark and you could see all the stars and constellations. Cooper and I would run around mapping them out." He trailed off, suddenly very sad. I really hoped Cooper was doing ok. He was sure Pa was taking care of him, but he had never been away from his dog for so long. He hoped Cooper wasn't feeling as sad as he was.

He looked back to Hayley, who suddenly seemed distant. "Are you tired?" He asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm going to turn in."

"Ok." Buck said. Hayley didn't leave though, standing firmly in the doorway. "You know… I'm scared too."

"We'll be ok." Hayley lied. How could she say that? She felt like an idiot for even mentioning it. Thankfully, Buck didn't blow up at her. "Just remember the plan." She continued.

"Just don't leave me." Buck said.

"I won't. You got my back and I got yours."

She left after that, leaving Buck alone, thinking of home and better days.

District 11 Apartments

To Daisy's surprise, Ruddy wasn't moping about in the living room like he had been the past several days. Instead, he went immediately to his room and shut the door, wishing her a good night as he did.

Daisy, however, was struggling to keep her stomach under control. Had she done enough to prepare for the Games? Was she good enough on camera? Would Ruddy's words hurt her chances with the sponsors?

She thought of home, of the overcrowded home her family lived in. The smells of sweat that seemed to be soaked into everything thanks to the hot District 11 days. She thought of her little bedroom she shared with Jenna and the others. In her head, Jenna was making fun of her for something, egging her on as Daisy tried to sleep.

Sleep came with that comforting thought. She'd be home soon, one way or another.

District 12 Apartments

The only good thing District 12 got from the Capitol was their Tribute's apartment in the Capitol. Located on the highest floor of the Training Center, the apartment came with a large open air balcony that gave Marianna a great view of the whole Capitol. A cool summer breeze drifted past her and for a moment she felt like she was home.

Suddenly she started to cry. It surprised her actually. Even when she was Reaped she didn't cry, but all alone, staring out at the brightly lit city beneath her and the dark nothing above, Marianna felt overwhelmed. It was happening. She was going into the Hunger Games.

She didn't want to die.

Her crying became louder until she was full blown sobbing. She wanted to go home. She was her siblings and her parents to tell her it'd be ok. She wished she had a real friend in the Games too, no matter how horrible that sounded. Someone she knew had her back.

But this was it. She was all alone.

At the door to the apartment interior, Pan watched his partner break down. She hadn't spotted him yet. Slowly, he backed up, closing the door softly behind him.

He didn't know how and didn't want to comfort his partner. After all, who was comforting him?

Don't forget to leave your predictions for Victor in the reviews!

Next up: The Bloodbath