Author's Note: We're racing towards the end, and we all know the Capitol's collapse is imminent. These newest victors are arriving in chaos and having to make it work.
….
The Ninety-Seventh Annual Hunger Games: Caspian Malik, District Four (18)
It was too hot. The Capitol wanted these Games over with quickly. Caspian was prepared for that. Four's victors had told the students at the Centre the truth about the Capitol's impending collapse. They were hanging on by a thread and that was going to snap at any moment.
The Capitol would get their wish. They had reaped twenty-four rebels, but volunteers had come up in unexpected places and nobody knew their motives.
They watched as pairs of volunteers emerged in Eight and Eleven and their districts' victors couldn't hide their surprise. The four of them shouted over the countdown in battle cries for freedom and stepped off their plates before the gong sounded.
The boy from Seven had volunteered too and a sudden switch in mentor from young Birch to the more experienced Linden had Noah concerned. The boy presented a real chance for Seven to get their second victor in a row. Noah had watched Linden as he took over and he was worried. There was something else to the boy that Birch needed protecting from. Caspian was under instruction to either avoid him or kill him.
Caspian followed Noah's instructions. He saw Seven's boy charge at the Cornucopia and throw the girl from Twelve right at the side of the structure. She died instantly. Caspian knew the boy was a problem. He focused on the first tributes he could find and took down the boys from Five and Six before finding weapons in an area away from Seven's boy.
He re-armed himself and took on the girls from Nine and Ten when from the corner of his eye, he could see Seven's boy charge towards his allies. Caspian thought about going to their aid but decided to finish what he started. The girls from Nine and Ten were soon on the ground dead and Caspian had a choice to make.
He saw Seven's boy continue in his attack and his district partner turn on One's boy. Caspian decided to back up the boy and dispatch Seven's girl as the smarter option. They both turned to find their allies dead with Seven's boy standing over them. He caught their eyes and stopped in his tracks before shouting about freedom for District Seven.
Caspian agreed with the cause. But that was not District Four's game in the arena. Outside of it, Four and Seven were close allies but Caspian knew what he would need to do. If the Capitol did not get there first after the display they had seen. It was obvious why Linden had swapped with Birch, not wanting their young victor to be caught in the crossfire.
It was not the time to target Seven's boy. His chant had ended, and he picked up another axe, and a backpack and ran away singing a song encouraging District Seven's fight for freedom. The Capitol would have cause to kill him now if they hadn't already.
Caspian decided to leave him be for a while. No doubt he would share more odes to Seven's freedom in the hope they would make the broadcast. Caspian wanted to give him the chance to share his message now that his intentions in volunteering were obvious. The Capitol had to be the one to end district dreams. Caspian could not let them pit district against district in that way. Four was not going to visibly end a boy from Seven's dream of freedom, not when Caspian shared that dream himself.
District Four also found itself in a position of strength. The boys from One and Two had lost their district partners and Caspian still had his alongside him. Four was going to be the dominant force and he would lead for however long they had left as allies.
The bloodbath had been especially deadly, so Caspian knew the volunteer alliance would not last long. Only ten tributes remained out of the twenty-four. Four had stepped off their plates early, leaving only twenty to face the bloodbath. Half of those did not make it out alive.
Caspian had killed four of those ten, making him the undisputed one to watch. Seven's boy had taken out three and each of his allies had a kill to their name. There were only seven tributes beyond their alliance and the Games had so far lasted an hour.
The heat was relentless throughout the rest of the day and into the night. A cannon fired into the darkness and the volunteers knew it would be an arena-related death. Dehydration would have set in for those who did not have access to water. Nobody was moving around the arena given the temperatures, even at night. The Capitol had created this arena to see the end of the Games quickly.
One of the survivors crawled towards the Cornucopia in desperation on the second morning of the Games, seemingly unphased that she was right next to the volunteers. Caspian shrugged, and let the girl take some water before nodding to his district partner to do the honours. It was the final eight already.
A further cannon fired later that day and the volunteers spent their time sitting in the ever-decreasing shade of the Cornucopia, realising that their luck was soon about to run dry. The Gamemakers were manipulating the sunlight into the arena and the Cornucopia offered ever-decreasing amounts of protection by the hour.
As the anthem sounded and darkness fell once more, Seven's boy started singing again. The volunteers could hear his every word, so it was clear he had not travelled far. His singing grew louder as the day's pictures appeared in the sky and Caspian had to admire the audacity. It was smart, in that it would be difficult for the Capitol to disguise this latest round of song, but it would most likely see the Gamemaker's attention on the boy turn fatal.
Unsurprisingly, the volunteers were woken up by Seven's boy screaming as he was chased by a giant snake. The Gamemaker's muttation showed him no mercy and did not stop until the boy was dead. But Seven's boy had to ruin their moment once more as even as he lay dying, his last words were a call for his district's freedom. Caspian resolved to speak to Linden if he could, to tell him of his quiet admiration for the boy and his stupid bravery.
The snake did not stop after Seven's boy was dead and darted to the nearest beings it could find. Unfortunately for the volunteers, that was their alliance, and they all ran in separate directions hoping to avoid the deadly creature.
His district partner and the boy from One were particularly unlucky as the snake chased after them and did not stop until they were both dead. Another cannon sounded separately from the deaths of Caspian's former allies, leaving the final three tributes left standing.
A parachute containing a solitary bottle of water and a note descended into the arena for Caspian. He eagerly devoured the entire bottle before reading Noah's note.
"This was expensive. End it."
Caspian could already feel himself grow weaker from just a few hours of exposure to the heat. He knew what shape the boy from Two was in but had no idea as to the condition of his final foe. But if they had managed to survive to the third day with no shelter and perhaps no water, they were lucky to be alive at all.
From across the far side of the Cornucopia, a tall boy stumbled into view. As he came closer, Caspian realised it was the boy from Ten. He was likely used to warmer weather, but so was Caspian and he was now struggling. He realised the boy was incredibly sunburnt and blisters were visible across his exposed skin. Before he got the chance to react, Two's boy put him out of his misery. Caspian was pleased he did not have to exert himself.
It was a predictable finale. Volunteer against volunteer and ally turned foe. It was a battle the Capitol was used to. Two and Four boys often faced each other in the final two and it was Caspian's turn to tip the familiar story into District Four's favour.
He was desperate to end things. He charged Two's boy as best he could as his legs began to tire. Two's boy did the same, equally keen to end his misery one way or another. Neither tribute could believe the effect the intense sun had on them as they were surprised by the haphazardness of their attacks.
Limbs flailed and bodies groaned in exhaustion. They collided with each other and fell to the ground almost slumped together before Caspian managed to take hold of a knife and grapple for control. He found himself hovering over Two's boy and managed to stab his hand as his opponent reached out to block the blow. He adjusted his grip to prevent Two's boy from flipping them over and asserting his dominance. Caspian moved again, this time managing to slit the boy's throat before passing out.
He woke up in the tribute hospital with Noah at his side, telling him it was already time to return to the Training Centre. His worst injuries were sunburn and the scrapes from the final fight which had been quickly erased. The Games were over quickly, the victor was well, and the Capitol had brought forward the victory events.
Everything was hurried until the victors were ushered onto trains away from the Capitol. But in the rush, Caspian did get to meet Seven's victors. He got on well with Birch who was in a similar position to him. Johanna, Fern and Blight were energised and laughing about the Capitol's panic over the snippets of footage of their deceased tribute that had made the broadcast. Caspian was pleased to know the boy's efforts had been seen.
But much to Caspian's surprise, Linden was sporting a black eye when they met. Apparently, meetings with Victors' Affairs were handled differently now. His tribute's actions had impacted him, and it was clear why he moved Birch out of the firing line.
It marked a clear departure from the Capitol's claim to treat the victors with civility. They had attacked a man in his seventies. But Linden did not seem phased, despite Caspian's shock. Linden had been called 'district scum' but it did not appear to bother him at all. This is what the Capitol had thought of them all along and now they were not trying to hide it.
Caspian realised on the train home that Finnick was also sporting a split lip and bruises to his face that were not there days before. He had also met with Victors' Affairs, albeit it had gone differently to Linden's meeting, and he had the footage to prove it. Caspian did not want to know about that, but it was obvious what Finnick meant.
He considered himself lucky that the Capitol did not concern themselves with him. He was a victor who instantly began to fade. He did a good job in a Games the Capitol wanted over quickly and returned home alive. That was his prize and Caspian was satisfied with that.
It was clear from the moment he returned to Four that the Capitol's attitude towards him in isolation was immaterial. His peers had other plans in the works. It did not matter what he did as an individual because he was a victor from District Four and Caspian knew what that meant. They were rebels and Caspian had already pledged his commitment.
He had only been home a matter of days before he was putting on the 'borderland bandit' uniform once more. Only this time, with his status as a victor, he was elevated to leader. Noah was their official leader, while Ossian led them in the field. However, Caspian knew that people would instantly look up to him given he had returned home from the Hunger Games alive.
Their next task was to kidnap the Chief of the Capitol Guard who was coming to check on Four's Head Peacekeeper. A fight in the desert did not make Caspian especially more prepared for the job, but he was to play a significant role, and everything needed to happen without a hitch.
Four's bandits would take on their usual role and Caspian found himself donning the balaclava and red bandana in the now-traditional role of hijacking a moving train on its way into the district. Neither he nor Ossian could mix with the Capitol figures in case their voices or mannerisms were recognised, but they both worked on the operation, without coming face to face with anybody from the Capitol.
Together, they targeted the driver, forcing him to stop the train whilst they took over and diverted into a network of caves they were now experts in. Their colleagues had jumped the other carriages and were doing the job of taking the Capitol officials hostage.
The driver knew what would happen and gave up control without a fight. The real job for Noah's victors would be to smuggle the man to safety in District Four whilst their colleagues created chaos along the rest of the train.
The Chief of the Capitol Guard and his security detail were to be held hostage in the caves close to Four's border. Anyone who put up a fight would be killed, and a ransom order would be put out on the most important members of the group.
They were not afraid to kill the Chief or anybody who accompanied him. If he remained compliant and the entire plan went as intended, he would be released in the borderlands alone once the bandits grew tired of the game and had the money they would demand for his release in Noah's coffers.
District Four knew they would have to act and take on some of the heat. They could not leave it to everyone else whilst they cruised along. For Caspian, this was perhaps more dangerous than the arena, but he decided not to dwell on it. Where there was rebellion, Four's victors would be at its centre.
Once his part was over, it would be a lesson in politics for Caspian. He could fight, that much was clear. But the rebels' success also depended on how well they could engage in politics and play the Capitol's games better than they did.
With Ossian, Caspian would take a leading role in the search for the lost Chief and engage in misdirection. District Four would appear willing to help while driving the Capitol search party in the wrong direction.
Ossian and Caspian directed searches along the shore, into the water, even floating the suggestion that the Chief could have been taken to the farmland in the north of the district. If the Capitol search party and the Head Peacekeeper became desperate enough, they would search so far away to do all they could.
Caspian could not believe this was the Ossian he knew from the Centre. He had now come to know Ossian the field leader of the bandits and the favourite with the Capitol, Head Peacekeeper and the richest in the district. He had heard from Noah about Ossian's years of work with Four's richest in the rowing regattas and sailing clubs, taking rowing victories and prizes and making friends on the way.
Now he was in his element, a confident, established victor, completely immersed in the game Four's victors played. Caspian knew that war was coming, and he was not going to have the chance to find his niche. But because of the work done before his time, there was no need for years of work to establish himself. He was to fight and remain battle-ready, coming straight from an arena.
Caspian was confident in his fighting prowess but until the Capitol launched an offensive, he would have to play the game. He found himself in the middle of a rowing gala dinner, accompanying Ossian, affording him the chance to see him in his element with the friends he had brought to Four's rebellion.
He watched as Ossian made his speech, congratulating the prize winners and lying through his teeth in expressing his wishes for the safe return of the Chief of the Capitol Guard. Then he introduced Caspian as their latest success story, the new pride and joy of the Centre.
It was Caspian's turn to take centre stage and have his moment. He barely had to speak in the Capitol as the victory events were so rushed, but District Four was making up for it. He had been paraded around the district, giving speeches from the Centre, the seafront and the Justice Building and he was building up his skills as a public speaker before the Victory Tour.
He spoke to the rowers and sailing clubs about life on District Four's waters and the traditions that made them unique. He spoke of holding onto their identity, what the district taught him and how it brought him through the trials of the arena. People loved it and loved the chance to mix with the most influential people in the district.
Caspian's life had changed through surviving the Games and his status had been elevated. He was a leader in the bandits, automatically respected across the district and now part of the victors' operations. They had accepted him wholeheartedly and involved him in their lives without reservation.
He knew to expect the opposite from the Capitol on the Victory Tour. Noah expressed his surprise that it would even go ahead. They were about to get a snapshot of the chaos unfolding across Panem and it would be time for Caspian to engage in his first major intelligence exercise.
The Tour arrived on the back of the announcement that the Capitol had paid the ransom the 'borderland bandits' had demanded in return for their Chief. It was a complete capitulation and total embarrassment for the Capitol, and they did not even get their man back. He was released and his rescue team found themselves caught in a spate of gunfire by more bandits during their exit. The Chief of the Capitol Guard was gunned down and the surviving members of his rescue team and security detail were executed on return to the Capitol for their supposed negligence.
Noah was jubilant at the start of the Victory Tour. It was possibly his and District Four's greatest victory. The Capitol suspected the bandits were operating from within District Four, but they had no concrete evidence to support that and nothing at all to suggest the victors were controlling the operation. The Capitol had tried to retaliate and sent bombs towards the network of caves where the hostage operation had taken place. It had weakened some of Four's natural defences and decreased the space open for the bandits but Four was prepared and it was no great loss.
Four was triumphant and Capsian played into that on the Tour. His district reigned supreme, he was dominant in the arena, and he was becoming a public figure despite the Capitol's attempts to thwart him. People loved him and he barely had to try.
He read the Capitol's cards half-heartedly and with a wry smile, letting the audience know he was not engaging with the words. Like the Games, the Capitol wanted to rush the Tour to a close and Caspian had to agree with Noah. He had no idea why it was going ahead. It would only serve to make them look weak.
Caspian himself was seen in a new light from the one in the arena. He was no longer the lethal, sunburnt tribute who played the Games to a tee. His public speaking in Four alongside Ossian had worked wonders and he was calm, relaxed and easy-going. He was friendly, shaking hands and speaking earnestly with everyone he approached. He was a pillar of strength and looked comfortable on the stage. To the Capitol's dismay, Caspian was completely at ease with the other victors despite barely having the opportunity to speak to the others after his Games.
There was so much to do behind the scenes and along with Noah, Caspian was taking in all the information he could. In Twelve, after the Chief of the Capitol Guard was captured, some of the peacekeepers were withdrawn. Peeta as their leader, started to anticipate the Capitol's attack, which they knew would come. But nothing happened. Instead, with Twelve's population starting to fall, excess peacekeepers were redeployed. Caspian was understanding more about Panem every day.
He had been warned about Olive and gave her short shrift. Eleven's other victors ignored her, and Caspian concentrated on them. Marshall had been exceptionally busy and had arrived for the Tour's events from the field. Seeder and Chaff were energised, and Eleven was about to tip over the edge.
Caspian loved District Ten. Their victors and Rosa were a delight to be around. They had taken their own route to rebellion and were immensely successful. They had changed the landscape in District Ten, and they had united so many of the agricultural workers and city dwellers around Ten's rebel efforts.
There was finally progress in District Nine. Sandy had made Ryan brave and had seemingly helped change Barric and Maizey's minds. The older victors were never going to be active rebels, but they were supportive and posed no threat. Caspian could see Noah's relief and knew this was long overdue.
District Eight held no surprises at all. Calico Paylor was delighted to meet Caspian and to see Noah again. She made clear at the end of the evening that there was no holding Eight back. When word came, they would be all in all at once.
Caspian was relieved to be reunited with Seven's victors. They were familiar faces and he felt at ease immediately. He had already gained their confidence and they were open with him. He found out a lot about District Seven and how they worked. The lumber camps were the centre of their rebellion and each of the surviving victors had their roots there. It was what they understood.
But Seven also had a network of paper mills and craftsmen who were also ready to join in. Linden shared the news that he thought a strike in the mills was on the horizon and they would be prepared to time their next steps with Three and Four. Noah was delighted and Caspian was pleased to be so trusted so quickly.
He was nervous about arriving in District Six. He knew Poppy was important and he wanted to impress. Caspian listened attentively to everything Poppy said when the victors were alone. It was clear that along with the network of rail workers she had built up, Poppy knew everything there was to know about Panem's railway system. Caspian was able to assure her of the safety of the driver who was caught up in the kidnap of the Chief of the Capitol Guard and Poppy was grateful for their assistance in keeping her people safe. She left them with a copy of the updated timetable for the coming weeks and a map one of her trusted colleagues had been able to copy. Caspian made a point of studying it when he and Noah were alone on the train.
Rebellion was coming together in District Five too. Their workers were planning a 'go-slow' and sabotage attempts and Caspian soon realised what a position he was in. He knew what Seven was planning and knew there would be a chance for Five to join in their efforts. If Seven's workers went on strike when Three and Four next moved and Five could join in too, it would mark the beginning of the end for the Capitol. He could hardly believe he was in a position to make this happen.
He felt the same pressure meeting Halley as he did Poppy. Noah had made clear that he and Finnick thought the world of her and that Beetee and Wiress had been vital assets for decades. But he need not have worried. They took to him as if he had known them for years. Halley told him that his demeanour during the speech had worked well for Three and that they had enjoyed how willingly he interacted with their people. Nobody had a bad word to say about him.
In both District Two and District One, they played up the traditional volunteer alliance between their districts. Caspian could have been theirs and it was only a matter of chance that he was from District Four instead. He and Noah copied District Two's traditional Institute greeting and sign of respect on arrival and departure and toured the training facilities.
In One, Gloss very deliberately showed them around the Academy during a time when training leaders were meeting alongside a select group of peacekeepers and influential businessmen to discuss the district's prospects during the instability. Caspian admired Gloss' audacity and listened in with care to find out what he could to repay Gloss' trust in him.
They had a long debrief with Finnick upon their return and he was pleased with how events had played out. Caspian was part and parcel of Four's group of victors and had adapted to his new lifestyle and sudden responsibility with ease. Their trust in him was well-earned and entirely deserved.
He had learnt so much about the districts, their progress and who the key players were. He could tell whether their leaders were involved or loyal to the Capitol by how the victors behaved and could make a judgement as to the level of peacekeeper presence. His presence was well received, and he was a hit with the people despite the Capitol's best efforts to the contrary.
Caspian did not have the time to develop a different skill. He had the unfortunate task of being everything to everybody. He would be whatever people needed him to be. A victor, a bandit, a confidant or a trusted public face. He had reaped the benefits of being from District Four and following in the footsteps of decades of work from their victors, but he had needed to prove his worth all the same.
He has gone from a fighter to a playmaker in the rebellion and was ready for whatever the next step may be. It was clear that the Capitol would fall, and Caspian knew he would play a part in that. The prospect was exciting. So many others had laid the ground for him to fall on his feet and he was grateful for their efforts. Now it would be his job to show it was not in vain and continue to prove himself in the rebel's world. The next arena would soon be upon him, and Caspian was looking forward to the challenge.