Ever since she had begun training Cardea Bellona had not understood why the outlier districts had looked upon her kind with hatred instead of envy and why they hadn't chosen the same path or begun walking upon it. The Games, if anything, had only reinforced that. The outliers were afraid. Afraid of her. Perhaps their hatred came from a place of envy, that they had attained her success, that they ey were doomed to send in terrified kid after terrified kid, year after year. But that was so why did they not do anything about it?

Why did they view her as the monster?

In Twelve, they were beaten down and hopeless. Yet, another two tributes slain in the bloodbath, one by her hand. In Twleve they were so beaten down, that they did not have any energy left for anger, they had resigned themselves to this fate year after year. Cardea Bellona began to blame them when the same vicious cycle repeated year after year. When the one chance of something else was cruelly snatched away from them.

In Eleven, they were full of vitriol and Cardea saw a want for vengeance in their eyes. Cardea had not killed in either of their tributes, but killed by a Career there were. Not one from her District but by Nile the boy from Four. But here she stood, the representation of everything that Nile stood for and a living enemy made a much better target than a deadman.

In Ten, they were divided. She had formed a temporary alliance with the Harely, but her District partner had killed their boy. Cardea stood as perhaps both an exception and the strictest adherence to the rule of Careers as monsters. Maybe things were not always as straightforward as she had previously thought.

In Nine, they are a full pity. Pity for her. What reason did she have to be pitied? She had returned victorious. She had achieved glory. Severed her District well. Brought honour to both. So why was their pity?

In Eight, there is anger again. Fury. It was to be expected she had cut down both of their tributes, both twelve, with great viciousness and brutality. Something that seemed more foreign to her with every passing day. Something that was embodied in her very being to those in Eight. If they did what the innocents to die, why not send those who could fight?

In Seven, there is sadness and despair. They had come so close and Cardea had stolen their hopes at the last moment. In another world where she was not trained Seven may have come out on top. But they did not live in that world. They lived a world in the fair fight she would always have come out on top. Cardea thought she was doing an honourable thing by tossing her opponent a sword, maybe she was, but she was not levelling the playing field. That could not exist in a world of Careers and outliers.

In Six they watch her with eyes filled with hate, Yet another year of their tributes dying, killed at the hands of the Careers - monsters who had chosen to be a part of the Games that they so dreaded Those had chosen this. Was that why so many in the outlying Districts regarded her kind with such vitriol? Did they think that we did so with such glee?

In Five, they wish to be forgotten. They won't move on, forget that another two of their tributes have been slaughtered. Forget how the very person standing right before them had cut one of their own down. Forget how they chose that.

In Three, they are a mix of everything - anger, despair, sadness… pity. Whilst back in Two they would celebrate another glorious victory they would once again mourn their dead. Once again a Career would brought before the stage and have spoken words about the slaughter of their children as a most noble of sacrifice. Of course, they despaired and spat vitriol towards her.

But pity? Had there been whispers of every District?

Cardea could understand anger, sadness, and despair. Even indifference would more sense than pity. Maybe, in time she would come to understand. Before Tour, she could not wrap her head around the builder's anger. She hoped that when she did… if she did it was not late. Too late for what, Cardea did not know. Maybe that was something that she would come to understand later too.