Author's Note

I do not own The Hunger Games.

Luminita Summerfield, 17

Climbing behind the pods had protected her from the gunshots and whoever else was charging about through the pod hall. Luminita had used the time to try and gather her thoughts and focus herself. Her memory of the last day and a half in the arena felt… hazy, and she only had vague memories of wanting to hunt, wanting to take… revenge? Luminita wasn't even sure what she'd want revenge for. For Sorcha? The hijackers had caused Sorcha's death. She couldn't blame any of the other players for that. And even if one of them had killed her…

Luminita wasn't sure she'd blame them.

No, it couldn't have been for Sorcha. She might never know what it was for.

And then the ceiling had begun pouring water and her hiding place became a death trap. The pods were no longer connected to The Game, but Luminita wasn't sure if they were still being powered, and there were exposed sockets, systems of insulated wires, and a multitude of electronics parts she couldn't identify back then.

So Luminita had crawled from her hiding place, half expecting to find herself directly facing someone with a gun, as had happened when she'd stumbled from her pod.

Instead, she found nothing.

The pod hall had been filled with groans and complaints as Luminita ran for the door. Once she could see it, there ahead of her, she picked up her speed and threw herself at the exit with little consideration for the danger that might be around her. Let her have some of Sorcha in her and be reckless for once. If it might save her life.

A group of the soldiers were clustered to the left of the door, the water around them turning red with blood. Three others were trying to attend to them, but they were so focused on whatever it was they were doing that Luminita wasn't even sure if they noticed her as she passed.

She dashed through the door and raced up the corridor towards the reception. There were others ahead of her and the sounds of gunshots echoed from the reception. Not there then. Luminita forced herself to slow, trying to think whether there was any other way out. She didn't remember any. But there might be somewhere to hide in the changing rooms.

Luminita skidded through the door into the changing rooms, and for a moment she remembered entering here with Sorcha, her sister bragging while Luminita trailed behind and rolled her eyes.

These rooms were empty and Luminita tried to think where might be best to hide. The cubicles had flimsy locks, but she doubted they would hold against anyone trying to break through the door. The lockers, meanwhile, were far too small for a person to climb inside.

Luminita glanced around the room before making her decision. She climbed onto one of the benches and then pulled herself up onto the top of the lockers, wriggling into the space between them and the ceiling. She wasn't sure if she'd be entirely hidden, especially in a thorough search, but it might grant her some safety.

Elsewhere in the building, a series of explosions shook the building. Luminita whimpered and covered her head with her arms.

She could only hope this would end soon.

Ares Gilmore, 15

"Hands in the air!" boomed the voices around them.

"Down on the ground!"

"Hands where we can see them!"

"Don't move!"

"Face the wall!"

"What do you want us to do?" screamed Iridescence's sister.

"Phoenix–" hissed Iridescence, grabbing at her arm–

Silence.

The Peacekeepers around them still had their guns raised and trained on them, but they weren't shouting conflicting orders any more. Which Ares supposed was good.

"We'll just… sit down," Iridescence's sister said, and sank to the ground to sit on the curb.

Iridescence lurched slightly and shifted the injured girl against her, lowering her to the ground.

"This girl is injured! She needs a doctor!" Ares shouted.

One of the Peacekeepers fired a bullet into the ground beside them.

Ares dropped to Iridescence's side, attempting to shield her and the bleeding girl with his body. "Alright we'll just stay here very sorry."

"Identity cards?" said one of the Peacekeepers.

Ares reached for his pocket, remembered, and stuck his fingers into the slot in the jumpsuit designed for identification cards and Game tickets. He pulled his out and slid it across the ground towards the Peacekeepers.

With a trembling hand, Iridescence followed his example. "Phoenix, your card."

Her sister, Phoenix, nodded and produced her own card and then turned to the boy she was with, helping him retrieve his own card and putting both on top of Iridescence's.

The Peacekeepers took all five cards and muttered over them for a moment, running them through a scanner. Ares heard the blip of acceptance as it confirmed them as authentic. Those Peacekeepers still holding their guns began to lower them.

"You were players in The Game simulation?" asked one.

"Yes sir. I'm Ares Gilmore."

"Aye," said one of the others, holstering his gun altogether. "But we had to be sure." He glanced over his shoulder. "Medic!"

Ares looked at Iridescence. She was holding Phoenix's hand in one of hers, and looked worse than Ares had ever seen her.

But they were all alive, and one day they might find solace in that.

Zephyr Almon, 13

He ducked behind the doors to the reception until the gunfire filling the room beyond came to a stop. Emeria huddled at his side. "Is it over?"

Carefully, he peered around the door and at the desk where he must have paid to enter the arena only a few hours ago. He'd had Celeste with him then and been surrounded by other prospective players.

"I… think so." He clenched his fingers around the edge of the door. "Celeste, is it over?"

The hallway was far too quiet.

Zephyr crept out and edged into the reception. No one came to him, so he hurried over to the desk and pressed himself against it. At the other side of the room, he could see a man in black and green sprawled out on the floor, blood pooling around him. He waved Emeria over. She crouched at his side.

"I think they're all dead," said a boy.

Zephyr jumped slightly. One of the wires dangling from the destroyed lights above them sparked, sending a shower of glowing embers raining to the ground. Emeria shrieked in surprise. One of the hijackers let out a low moan. Blood trickled from his mouth and pooled beneath him. Nausea rose up Zephyr's throat.

For much of his life, he'd always believed Celeste didn't love him. Didn't even like him very much. She cared for her doll more than anything. Oh, Zephyr had loved her, but he wasn't sure Celeste was capable of love. She'd always been so cold to everyone.

Now though…

If this had been her, protecting him from harm…

Look at what she'd done in the name of keeping him safe.

"We should go," he said, stepping through broken glass towards the door. "Before…"

Before anyone else got hurt.

The older boy nodded, and waved them across the room. "The door's padlocked, but they shot through the windows."

He looked… odd, Zephyr noticed. Not terrified like himself and Emeria, but a strange, almost artificial looking calm. The shake to his voice gave him away though.

Two of the windows were still intact, but most of the others had cracked and one had shattered altogether, allowing blinding sunlight to pour into the room. The older boy climbed out first, and Zephyr helped Emeria to follow him. The two of them had to drag him through the hole as the shouts of Peacekeepers began to ring through the air. Zephyr took Emeria's hand as real sunlight poured over them and highlighted the blood on their jumpsuits.