WARNING: this chapter is part of a DOUBLE UPDATE. if you have not read chapter 26 yet go do that! massive spoiler alert if you haven't yet. teehee hope everyone's having fun :)

Esper Myrellis-Verilla, 27

Victor of the 88th Hunger Games

June 7th, 97 ADD

11:35 PM

Everything was moving so fast.

Townes alone in Six with his grief, the Games tomorrow, the early train, Tomo's confession, the Gamemaker's contingency plan for Fleur, Chevre's bold (but anti-Career) plan… Esper's head was spinning, trying to keep track of everything that had happened in the last five days.

He excused himself from the conversation with Tomo's allies- frankly, he was glad he'd ended up with them instead of the Career, for obvious reasons- but hadn't made it far when the front door slammed open.

"Hands in the air!" a deep voice shouted. Esper stepped into the hall and found Peacekeepers flooding into the sixth floor apartments. One of them, a large, dark-haired man, grabbed him while the others surged into the living room, where he'd left Tomo, Chevre, Jem, True, and Jest.

"Let go of me," Esper demanded. "What's going on-"

"Confidential Gamemaker business," the Peacekeeper responded.

"What happened?" Esper asked, his voice rising. He forced his fear down-

(the early train, they know about the early train, how do they know-)

"Were your tributes on the first floor tonight?" the Peacekeeper demanded.

"What? Why-?"

Before he could get another question out, shouts came from the living room. A moment later, the other Peacekeepers were muscling Tomo's allies out of the apartments one by one. True and Jem were both protesting while Jest kept his head down and Chevre glanced around wildly with the look of someone searching for an escape.

"Where are you taking them?" Esper said.

"Back to their floors where they belong," the Peacekeeper responded. No sooner had he spoken than Fleur arrived, flanked by another pair of guards. Mascara streaked from her eyes to her chin, and their pink hair was disheveled and tangled. They pulled her inside and towards their room.

"Esper!" she shrieked. "Help me!"

"What happened?" Esper shouted.

"The party- at the party-"

"What?"

"One of the tributes was attacked," she said. Esper tried to follow her, but the Peacekeeper with him put a warning hand on his shoulder. "I- I think they- they d-died-"

A chill settled over him.

(He should have known. It had only been three years ago since the last time Peacekeepers barged into the apartment like this.)

(Relax. It's not the early train. You know nothing about this. You're fine.)

(And it's not your tribute that got hurt this time, either.)

"Do what they tell you to," Esper shouted as she disappeared around a corner. Fleur didn't respond, and a moment later, he heard her bedroom door slam.

The Peacekeeper turned to him. "Your tributes will be questioned, then held in their rooms for the rest of the night."

"Who died?" Esper asked.

"As for you," the Peacekeeper continued, ignoring him, "you will be questioned immediately."

"What? Why?"

"Protocol," the man snapped, grabbing his arm.

"Don't touch me," Esper replied, ripping his arm free. "I can walk myself over just fine."

"I will escort you."

"Fine."

12:14 AM

"I never went near the first floor," Esper repeated.

The Gamemaker in front of him was the same one who had investigated the cheating during the 94th. Beehive hairdo, thick-framed glasses. She'd introduced herself as Gamemaker Tychon. "Tonight, or-?"

"Any night," Esper said. "I have no reason to. My tributes aren't allied with theirs, I don't like their Mentors, and they're nowhere near relevant to me."

Tychon raised a pink eyebrow. "Including Ms. Charm?"

"What about her?"

"The two of you are not friends?"

"Not even close," Esper said without hesitation.

Gamemaker Tychon jotted something down on a notepad. "One of your tributes, however, was nearby when it happened. And both were on the floor earlier tonight."

Esper frowned. "Tomo left well before the Peacekeepers came to us. I sincerely doubt there could have been a body lying around for well over an hour before anyone noticed. Tomo is also very strict about rules. Even if he wanted to harm another tribute, which I doubt he does, he wouldn't because it's against the rules."

Tychon wrote that down. "And Ms. Pettifur?"

"Fleur was crying when she came back." Esper stated. "And I don't think that kid has a violent bone in their body."

"That is not correct."

"...What?"

"Ms. Pettifur has a history of demonstrated violence," Tychon said, studying his face.

"Are you sure?" Esper asked.

Tychon tilted her head. "Has she not mentioned it to you? Why else would the Pettifur family leave the Capitol for District Six?"

"Enlighten me, then," Esper snapped.

"Fleur Pettifur stabbed a young man, nearly to death, in an alley in the Capitol," Tychon answered.

Esper sat back, taking in that information.

"I'll ask you again," Tychon said. "Your tribute was on the first floor at the time of the death. Is she capable of breaking the rules and attacking another tribute?"

Esper crossed his arms.

(That information contradicted everything about the girl he'd met. Esper didn't think Fleur would attack anyone unless she was seriously insane or had to. And while they were very different from any tribute he'd ever worked with, he didn't think Fleur was insane.

Maybe there was more to her than Esper had thought.)

"No."

Tychon raised her eyebrow again, but wrote down his response.

"Can I go now?"

"As you know. Mr. Myrellis-Verilla, this is the second incident between tributes prior to the Games in less than five years," Tychon said, looking at him over the rim of her glasses. "We are taking this incredibly seriously."

"Then talk to the people responsible," Esper snapped, the anger wrapping around him more familiar than his childhood blanket. "My tributes have only ever been the victims of the rule breaks, while the tributes who did this are probably the exact same as last time. Did you know the Two boy nearly broke a rule earlier tonight? Almost hit one of my tributes. It was on the first floor, too."

Tychon started scribbling on her notepad.

"So talk to the Ones and Twos about this, not me and my tributes," Esper finished. "And if we're done here, I have a lot on my plate."

Tychon finished writing with a flourish and gave him a nod. "You're dismissed for now. If anything is discovered regarding your tributes-"

"There won't be," Esper interrupted, standing. A Peacekeeper near the door opened it for him, and Esper strode out, struggling to restrain himself any further in front of the Gamemaker.

And waiting outside the interrogation room, likely for his turn, was someone Esper recognized. Qibli Vestron.

Before another Peacekeeper could walk him back to his apartments, Esper got up in the teenager's face. "Get your tribute under control," he warned.

Qibli blinked. "What?"

"If I ever hear again that one of your tributes is going around trying to hit other tributes-"

Qibli started to frown. "Excuse me? What?"

"I don't care that Mercury and Tomo are in the arena tomorrow. I know what will probably happen. But next year, or the year after that, if this happens again, there will be a problem," Esper snapped, glaring at him. "I don't care that you people trained, or Volunteered, you're not better than anyone else-"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Qibli replied.

"That's enough," Esper's Peacekeeper escort interrupted.

"Tychon will tell you," Esper replied. The Peacekeeper jostled his shoulder again, and Esper glared at him one more time before walking off, back towards the sixth floor of the Tribute Center.

(He was sure this was the work of some entitled Career again. It was the only thing that made sense. Of course, when his life was already the most complicated it had ever been, some Career would come in and make everything worse. That was how they all were.

It was always his tributes that suffered for it, and never his that won.

He was desperate that Tomo and Fleur would be different.)

Aurelia Charm, 33

Victor of the 82nd Hunger Games

2:39 AM

Aurelia had nearly nodded off by the time Bellona Hargrove returned to the interrogation room with her usual stack of papers. She decided it would be wise to wait for the other woman to speak first.

(She could not believe she was in this situation again.)

"No," Bellona said, seeing Aurelia's expectant look, "you are not being released yet."

"What did they say?" she asked.

"Invincible Gaultier is sticking with their story," Bellona replied. "They left the room to retrieve drinks and returned to find Rumi Valmorida bleeding from their neck on the floor. They attempted to stabilize Valmorida, but it was too late, and the tribute died. That was when Ms. Fotis discovered the scene and reported it."

"And you believe that?"

Bellona cocked her head. "Do you?"

"I don't see how that's relevant," Aurelia answered. "As I've reminded you, Gaultier is not my tribute, and neither was Valmorida. My tribute was asleep when this happened, and another kid already confirmed it."

"This happened on your floor, Aurelia," Bellona replied, "which you were supposed to be supervising-"

"How was I supposed to know-"

"-and do I need to remind you of our agreement?"

Aurelia stilled.

"Who selected Gaultier for the Games?" Bellona asked, her voice quiet.

"It's a complicated process," Aurelia answered. "The shareholders are involved, there are several evaluations-"

"Who made the final decision?"

(She did.)

Aurelia lifted her chin, remaining silent.

"Dammit, Charm, cooperate," Bellona demanded.

"There were a dozen other tributes who easily could've done it," Aurelia told her. "From my understanding, Invincible was chosen because they know how to play an audience. They're well-known and well-liked, not some unstable murdering psychopath. Their choices have always been much more thoughtful than this."

Bellona gave her a hard stare. "Which you would know because you considered it when selecting Invincible."

Aurelia changed the subject. "Wasn't there a serial killer there last night?" she said. "Shouldn't you be looking into that?"

"We are," Bellona answered.

"Maybe that kid, or the one who reported it, maybe they're framing Invincible-"

"Why?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Aurelia replied. "They're a talented tribute, the audience liked their interview, they got a high score. They're the total package."

"Which is why you selected them."

"Why does that matter?" Aurelia asked.

Bellona set her mouth in a tight line. Aurelia took a moment to give the woman seated across from her a good once-over; she looked much more tired up close than she had in her recent television appearances. "Because, Aurelia," she said evenly, "someone must be punished for this."

"...And you're punishing me?"

"Your job was to turn District One's representatives around," Bellona said.

"I- I have," Aurelia said, her breath catching in her chest. "The audience loved Lucrece, remember? And Cadoc did so well in his private session. No one remembers Olympia anymore, or Liege-"

"Because their participation has been deleted," Bellona interrupted. "And it's only taken a few years to see that you clearly cannot handle the responsibility you've been given."

"No," Aurelia said, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt. "You- you don't even know that it was Vince. And Vince is Braun's tribute, not mine-"

"You are responsible for bringing them to the Capitol."

"Maybe the kid did it to themself," Aurelia suggested. "Maybe it was self-inflicted."

"Valmorida was a Volunteer. Suicide doesn't make sense, as they made it clear they Volunteered to win a better life just earlier tonight, in their interview."

"Maybe it was all too much!" Aurelia said. "They couldn't take the pressure and went out early, the way some people do with the pedestal bombs- no, think about it, just put the blame on the dead kid and you don't need to punish me or anyone else-"

To Aurelia's belief, Bellona took a moment to write that down. "That may work externally," she said, "but too many people are already aware of what happened."

"We don't know that wasn't what happened!"

"Who takes their own life by cutting their throat?"

"I don't know," Aurelia said. "But no one needs to know that part. Say it was some other way."

Bellona looked at the table. "My superior will not believe it."

"Your superior?"

"The President."

Aurelia squinted. "Your mother."

"That would be correct."

"She wouldn't believe you?"

"I wouldn't lie to her," Bellona answered. "If only because it would be extremely unwise."

Aurelia sat back in her chair, thinking for a moment. "You got your position three years ago. After Gamemaker Opifex… stopped doing it."

Bellona bristled. "Yes."

"She got fired because of what happened in Mallory's Games, didn't she?"

"I wouldn't know."

Aurelia didn't believe that. "You're trying to blame Vince and me for this so that she doesn't go after you," she guessed. "You don't care about who actually did it. You just need names."

Bellona didn't answer.

"This interrogation doesn't even matter," Aurelia stated. "You've picked your scapegoats already."

"These are unfounded accusations," Bellona eventually said. "You're on thin ice."

"Fine." Aurelia crossed her arms. "I don't think Gaultier killed anyone tonight. There's no actual evidence that they did. Are we done here?"

Bellona's eyes flickered up to the cameras mounted in the corners of the ceilings. "Stop recording, please," she said. "This interview is done."

Aurelia watched the blinking red light fade.

(She was fucked. Completely fucked.

She needed to change the direction this was going in, and fast.)

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" she asked softly.

Bellona's attention jerked back to her. "Excuse me?"

"You'll announce what Vince 'did,' have them killed in the arena tomorrow, and then have me executed," Aurelia said.

Bellona tidied the stack of papers in front of her. "I haven't made any decisions yet."

"What happened to the last Head Gamemaker?" Aurelia asked.

Bellona's hands stilled. "I told you-"

"The camera's off," Aurelia reminded her. "No one can hear us. She was killed, wasn't she? By your superior."

"Why?"

"Because that's what will happen to you, too," Aurelia bluffed. "You won't keep your job after this. I've met your mother before. She's not going to let this go, is she?"

"I don't see how this is relevant to you," Bellona said, but her voice wavered.

Aurelia seized her chance. "You made a deal with me once. Now I could make one with you."

"Because our last arrangement went so well?" Bellona asked bitterly.

Aurelia ignored that. "Opifex wasn't killed until after Mallory won, right? I remember seeing her at the closing ceremonies. So it would make sense that your mother would wait to handle this until the Games are done."

Bellona frowned. "Aurelia-"

"So whatever happens would need to happen right after someone wins-"

"Aurelia!" Bellona said, her voice sharper now. "You're over the line."

Aurelia pushed her chair back and stood, placing her palms flat on the metal table. "I'm not going down for this," she hissed. "I'm not letting you do that to me because you're afraid of your mother. So let me fucking help you so that instead of both of us dying, neither of us does."

Finally, the Head Gamemaker started to understand. "What are you suggesting?"

"If you find a different explanation for what happened to Ten, I'll help you escape the Capitol," Aurelia said.

Bellona's eyes went wide, emphasizing the shadows beneath them. "How?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Then I have no reason to make any agreements with you," Bellona replied. "For all I know, you have no interest in helping me. You're just finding a way to save yourself."

It did sound like something Aurelia would've done, especially when she was younger. "Then you'd be able to tell everyone that I lied and I'd go down with you anyway," Aurelia told her. "Just- there's a train. An early train. I can get you a seat on it."

Bellona narrowed her eyes. "An early train."

"Some of the Victors are interested in going home before the closing ceremonies are done, so we found our own transportation," Aurelia lied. Just in case. "I could get you out of the Capitol before your mother has a chance to do anything. I could make you disappear."

"And the price of that ticket?"

"Something else for Ten's death- I know you have good editors, you can figure something out for the arena," Aurelia said. "And, ah… I'd need your assistance with a project of sorts."

"A project," Bellona repeated. "Do you know what a Head Gamemaker's schedule looks like?"

"You would be very uninvolved," Aurelia promised. "Really, I'd only need a few minutes of your time."

"Hm."

"And in exchange, you would live," Aurelia said. "A few minutes of help, a couple of lies, and you'd never have to worry about your mother again."

She could tell her words struck a chord. "You're sure this would work?"

"After the Victor is crowned, come straight to the twelfth floor, and we'll take you from there," Aurelia said. "I can have Sienna Asher back up everything I'm saying. But if you try to claim Vince did this, or give us bad information, or take me down, we're done. Both of us."

Bellona considered for several long minutes. Aurelia's willpower nearly failed a few times as she tried not to think about what her fate would be if Bellona Hargrove didn't take her offer.

(They'll hang you. They'll parade you through District One and leave you to rot in front of the Academy.)

But then, finally, Bellona looked up and met Aurelia's eyes.

"I'll take your offer," Bellona said.

Aurelia shook her hand, trying not to show her relief too clearly.

(It was a dangerous gamble on top of an already insane plan.

But Aurelia Charm had never been one for following the rules, had she?)

(breaks out the champagne) and with that, we're done with pregames! oh what fun we had :) no? just me? oops

anyway next chapter is the bloodbath. i need to finish up my semester and then will get crackin on that. in the meantime, go check out the prediction poll on the profile! i love hearing thoughts so please share them with me. yay

it has been a great time writing all of your kids and i am sincerely sad that i will have to let some of them go next chapter. ignore the part where i got a little trigger-happy at the end there (because yes, rumi valmorida is extremely dead). rumi will get their eulogy next chapter with everyone else in an effort to keep everyone from doing the thing where they spoil themselves by glancing at the bottom of the page. you know what i'm referring to. but! i am extremely grateful to have been able to work with such a fantastic cast of kiddos. thank you all for trusting me with these stories, and i will do my best to start bringing twenty-three of them to a close.

also, happy one-year anniversary to the publishing of fool's gold! what a fun year it's been! so thankful.

anyway. buckle in, folks, the fun's only getting started :) see you next time!

rb