Author's Note

I do not own the Hunger Games.

District Nine Male, Jarrod Palash, 16

They'd fallen behind. Not a surprise, they might be the biggest alliance in the arena now. The others all looked to be in twos and threes, other than the group of four from Ten.

But they weren't the last. One of the boys from Eleven was coming up quickly behind them, gaining on them with every minute that passed.

"I don't like him," said Amarine somehow.

"He's probably just climbing like the rest of us."

"He's coming straight for us. Why?"

Jarrod laughed. "You worry too much. I'll take care of you."

"I just think we should both get up there."

They had keycards, as did Micah, who had gone ahead, but Cali and Marcellus didn't. Though in the latter case, it was because he'd found one and immediately given it to Daisy.

The last thing they needed was a pair of lovers in this arena with no privacy between them all.

"We're going ahead!" Jarrod called, turning his attention to the last slope. "Go on, you go first."

Amarine nodded and set off, scrambling up the slope. She was small enough that the blades swung straight over her, though Jarrod still feared them being caught in her hair or the back of her jacket.

A hand closed around his ankle.

He yelled, kicking out even as he looked down to check whether it was one of their allies.

It was the boy from Eleven, his eyes alight with a sickening bloodlust.

Jarrod kicked out again, attempting to catch him in the face. "The fuck are you doing?"

"Die, bastard!" roared the boy, yanking hard on his ankle. Jarrod hooked his hands around the plank above him, straining to pull himself up. "Guys, a little help?"

Amarine stopped to look down at him. "What's going on?"

"He's got my ankle!"

"What for?"

"I don't know!"

Sharp pain exploded in his leg. Jarrod yelled and lost his grip on the plank, sliding to the ledge below. The landing sent pain roaring through him. He brought his arms up to deflect the incoming slash from the knife, and it carved his forearm open, drawing a line of hot blood. Jarrod screamed and slammed his hands into the boy from Eleven, knocking him over backwards. He bounced to the bottom of the fourth slope, though he wasn't dead, Jarrod could see him moving.

"Are you alright?" asked Cali.

"Fine," Jarrod muttered, and turned his attention back to the wooden slope.

This was the Hunger Games.

They were here to kill each other.

He needed to remember that.

District Seven Female, Sage Odin, 17

Micah was so close. She could dart sideways and join him. He was Seven like her, from home. Sage glanced back at the alliance she'd been with for the last challenge. These were the people she'd been with for the last day and experienced the last challenge with.

But Micah had a bigger group. She'd be more protected. And Sage wasn't sure she liked either of the boys she was with.

Decision made, she began to scramble sideways as she climbed, hoping to put herself behind Micah. She didn't quite make it, two tributes in the orange of Nine blocking the slope, but she was close enough that she could surely catch him at the top of the slope.

"Sage!" cheered Micah, his voice loud with delight. "Come on, you can do it! Come on!"

It felt strange to have such enthusiastic support from someone. Sage had never had that before. It made her feel warm inside somehow. Happy.

"You're almost there!" called Micah, waving his arms over the edge of the ledge. "Come on come on!"

Sage found herself laughing as she reached him, swinging herself up to join him. The pair from Nine had fallen behind somehow, and looking down she could see the boy must have fallen. Blood was pooling beneath him, though he had already attached himself to the wall again to continue the climb up.

"You can do it, Jarrod!" shouted Micah.

"Come on, Jarrod!" yelled the girl from Nine.

The boy, who must be Jarrod, struggled up doggedly behind the girl, slipping several times, his face cast in pain. The girl reached down and grabbed his arm, pulling him straight again.

"You're almost there!" called Micah. It was infectious, and even Sage found herself clapping for the pair as they finally made it to the top ledge. The boy, Jarrod, was bleeding from the leg, his trousers stained red. The girl grabbed her arms around him and pulled him as far from the edge as she could.

"Is it bad?" Micah asked.

Sage ducked behind him, so as not be drawn into all the business and chatter. It wasn't that she wanted Jarrod dead, just that she didn't want to be the one to have to deal with him.

Jarrod pressed his hand over the wound. "We need to get to the next waiting room. Then we can worry about that."

Sage smiled slightly. That was a good outlook. She liked this alliance.

District Two Female, Freya Slate Harmon, 15

Aelianna met them on the upper ledge, wrapping Alexios in a tight hug before pulling away and patting Freya on the back.

"You need to grab a keycard," she said, holding up a plastic rectangle.

"They can't give us those?" grumbled Alexios.

"Guess they can't make it too easy. Come on, I'll help out." Aelianna leant over and grabbed one of the bubbles as though it was easy, splitting it open with her fingers. A small pocketknife fell out. Aelianna shrugged and pocketed it. "Try another, I guess."

Freya grabbed a bubble for herself. This one contained a pair of socks. Practical, even if she didn't need them right at this moment. She stuffed them into her jacket and tried the next. Loaf of bread. Definitely useful, and she'd appreciate it later, but still not what she was looking for.

The next bubble contained a bottle of water. Then there was a nice, curved knife with a sharp edge. Then there was a roll of bandages.

"I feel like I'm being told something," she grumbled, but the next bubble she split open was at last a keycard. She grinned and waved it at the twins. "I got one!"

"Perfect," said Alexios, palming his own.

Aelianna took his arm. "Come on, let's go."

She barely looked at Freya as they took off for the final level. Freya tried not to feel hurt. Of course they cared more for each other than they did for her. They were siblings, while she was just some kid that attended the Academy with them.

"Freya, keep up!" Alexios shouted.

"I'm trying!" she snapped as she jumped onto the wooden slope, hurrying up behind them.

She just needed to prove herself.

Her gaze found the boy from Nine, who she'd pushed earlier. But now he was already injured, he'd be an easy target. Hw might not be the most impressive target for the audience to watch, but he might be an easy one to buy her some cred with the twins.

But he and his District partner were too far away for her to target now, and in the center of a mass of outer District tributes. She'd have to wait until he was parted from them. Then maybe she'd have a shot.

District Eleven Male, Bakula Kalanit, 12

"Should we split too? Or join them?" asked Greg, nodding at where the girl from Seven had joined the larger alliance.

Bakula hesitated for a moment. Mercury had helped them up, when he had no requirement to do that. But Cash and Kai were with the other alliance, along with the girl from Twelve who had helped organise all the tributes during the first swimming challenge.

"Come with us," he said to Mercury.

He glanced at the boy from Eight, now pointing his District partner further upwards and forward. Bakula had nothing against them, but he also liked them less than the boy from Six. There was something about the boy that seemed unapproachable, while he didn't know the girl.

Mercury glanced uncertainly between the two alliances before nodding. Bakula grinned and waved Greg over towards where the last of the bigger alliance was taking off up the slope.

"Can we join you?" he shouted.

Kai glanced at them. He said nothing and his face gave nothing away, but he signalled something with his hands. When he must have realised Greg didn't understand, he nodded and ushered them closer.

"What's your name?" asked the girl from Twelve.

"Bakula. District Eleven," he replied.

"Mercury. District Six."

"Have you forgotten me already?" complained Greg with a mock pout.

The girl shook her head. "I'd never forget you, Greg. Come on."

The climb up the final slope was easy, and Bakula soon joined those gathered at the top. Cash was there too, though she was slinking behind the pair from Seven, as though trying to leave.

"Rhea's dead," he blurted out.

That stopped Cash, and a cold horror dawned over her face. "What?"

"Rhea's dead. She fell down the first slope and now she's dead." He held his hand out to her. "We need to stay together. It'll be safer."

"Will you come with me alone?" she asked.

Bakula laughed and shook his head. "No way! Strength in numbers."

"This is too many numbers for me then."

The next time he'd see her, Bakula was sure, would be her face in one of the waiting room among the fallen.

Everyone left him and then dead.

"Good luck then," he said.

She grinned. "Good luck to you too."

And then she was gone and he was back with strangers.

District Seven Female, Adrianna Orita, 17

Terro wasn't happy at Meredith rejoining them.

Adrianna didn't mind.

It gave them another person, which strengthened them. And Meredith was sweet and kind. There were worse people in here they could ally with.

Meredith's District partner, for a start.

"She's just… a bully," Meredith complained with a scowl. There was something personal about that, but Adrianna decided not to ask. It would only be rude.

"She's entirely self-centered, and probably some alcoholic druggie! I can't believe I ever wanted to help her!"

"You sound like a snob," said Terro.

"What?"

Adrianna winced. "You do, kinda."

Her siblings had never accused her friends of being 'alcoholic druggies,' but they'd accused them of plenty else. Thievery, blackmail, laziness, assault, anything they could that might stop Adrianna being friends with them.

"I am not–"

"Maybe you're not, but you're talking like one. Not everyone's as lucky as you are."

"I wouldn't call myself lucky," muttered Meredith.

"Then you should maybe stop judging."

Meredith looked like she was going to keep arguing, but then she shook her head and fell quiet. Which might be an improvement.

Terro pulled himself onto the top ledge and turned round to help Adrianna up the last section. He didn't offer Meredith a hand.

There was no next slope, with only a wall where one would have been.

"Well, where are we meant to go now?"

Adrianna raised her eyebrows as she found the next part of the challenge. If the first event had favored Four and the careers and the second Eleven, this level was ideal for those from Seven. It stuck out above where they'd just climbed, displaying the terrible drop beneath it.

"God, I hate climbing," Adrianna complained.

District Nine Female, Amarine Feller, 14

Before them, sticking out above the slopes they'd just climbed up, were several thin glass staircases. None had bannisters or safety rails, the edges dropping away over the slopes. At the top of the staircases were heavy metal doors with number 8 flashing in red in the center.

"Up there then?" asked Jarrod.

"Up there," agreed Amarine.

Cali, however, was counting. "I think we have to break in half."

"What?"

"Eight. If that's the number of tributes that can go through each door, then we'll have to split up. There's too many of us."

"If we split up, we'll never get back together again," argued the boy from Eleven. The girl, Cash… Actually, Amarine couldn't see Cash any more.

"Right then. My group and yours," said the boy from Eight.

Micah grabbed the hand of the girl from Seven. "I'm not leaving Sage!"

"And Kai stays with us," declared the boy from Eleven.

Cali glanced at Jarrod. "Jarrod?"

"I just want to get somewhere through one of those doors," he said.

Amarine squeezed his hand. "We'll go ahead then. You guys can catch up when you've made a decision." She stepped up onto the first of the glass staircases. Jarrod stumbled after her, pressing his hands to the steps and dragging himself up. Amarine stopped to offer him a hand. "Do you need a hand?"

"No– No, I'm fine. Keep going." He groaned, struggling up the next step.

Amarine sighed and stepped back down to his side, taking his arm and dragging it over her shoulders. "I'm not leaving you behind. We stick together."

"I'm sure you've got a bad joke coming there," he muttered.

Amarine grimaced. "Not this time. Maybe later. Come on, let's get you to the door for now."

And maybe when they were safe they could figure out what to do about his bleeding. Because Amarine was fairly sure a person wasn't meant to lose quite so much blood.

District Ten Female, Laika Bergfalk, 18

Laika was telling herself that they just had to get up to the doors. Once they were inside, they'd be safe.

Until the next round of torture.

The problem was getting up to the doors.

Ariel seemed unbothered, as she was by everything, and had started her ascent, drifting up the glass stairs as though floating. Aiolin, however, was still at the bottom, her eyes wide, staring up the staircase.

"Come on. Best keep moving," Laika said, giving her a nudge.

Aiolin shook her head. "I can't– can't do that– I can't…"

"You've come this far. You giving up now?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. Laika, what if I can't make it. I don't think I can make it."

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get moving," grunted Diego, stepping around her and hurrying to catch up with Ariel.

Aiolin covered her mouth with one hand, closing her eyes. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook.

And then slowly, unsteadily, she at last lifted her foot and set it on the lowest step.

She climbed slower than Laika had seen her go before, careful and trembling as she ascended. Laika moved upwards behind her, choosing her same method of going up on all fours to keep herself stable and steady.

Up ahead, Ariel had reached the door, but now she'd stopped, staring into the great drop beneath them.

"What are you doing?" shouted Diego as he reached her.

Ariel smiled and said something. She was too far for Laika to hear her words, but whatever it was made Diego turn white.

"You're wrong," he said.

Ariel shook her head, her dark hair floating around her face.

"Take that back!" he demanded.

"Please let's not fight!" shouted Aiolin.

"Didn't you hear what she's saying?"

"No, and we'll sort it out later! Let's just get through that door!"

Diego scowled, and for a moment Laika feared he might push Ariel straight over the edge. Then, instead, he pulled his keycard from his jacket and swiped it down the door.

District Three Male, Toshiro Micron-Bundar, 13

Upwards.

They were still going upwards.

But they hadn't been that far underground when they came in on the hovercrafts, had they? Unless they had pulled down into the maze under the arena.

Something felt wrong here.

They should have come out into open air by now.

He'd have to work it out later. Right now, he needed to make it to the top of this glass staircase and get himself safe wherever they sent him next.

Safe.

As if anyone was ever safe while in the custody of the Capitol. They wanted nothing more than to watch the Districts suffer. One day, they'd rise up and tear down their 'shining leadership.' Toshiro had found some terrible enjoyment watching the hacking, not that he could ever tell his aunt. The Capitol deserved to feel some of the pain they'd put the Districts through.

He wobbled on the staircase, and for a moment he imagined himself falling. Then he managed to steady himself and was moving again.

He wasn't his mother. He knew how to not die here.

"Toshiro!" Bakula's voice was loud and angry. Toshiro ignored him, keeping his focus on the door above. Bakula shouted again. "I'll get you for this! Asshole! Traitor!"

"Bakula, come on!" shouted Greg.

Bakula narrowed his eyes and made a gesture across his throat before turning to follow Greg up the glass stairs.

Fools. Toshiro wasn't being dragged down with them. He reached the top of his own steps and scanned the door. There was a small scanner in the center, underneath the number eight. He swiped his keycard across it and the door slid open.

District Four Male, Tristan O'Cleary, 16

For a moment, it looked like there was nothing beyond the door. As if they were meant to step through and fall to their death.

Arika stuck her foot forward, and Tristan saw her find solid ground beneath it.

"Glass," she said with a grin.

"Boxes, or a bridge?" he asked.

Arika stuck an arm out and to the side. "Bridge, I think."

"Arika!" shouted a voice from down below.

"Ugh. Great. Look who's caught us up," grumbled Arika, turning and stepping onto the bridge.

The door slammed closed. The glowing eight displayed on it turned into a seven.

"Hey!" shouted Tristan, hammering a fist against the door.

Zale hurried up towards him. There was a boy with him, dark haired and wearing the grey of District Three.

"Are you on your own?" Zale asked. He was bruised and bloodied, presumably from the tunnel, but standing and strong.

"With Arika."

"The Twos? Or Prophecy?"

Tristan shook his head.

"Perfect." Zale produced a keycard from his own jacket and then flamed behind him at the other boy. "You coming?"

"Who's he?" asked Tristan.

"Andrew, District Three. We've been working together."

"Will I fall?" asked Andrew.

"Nah. Just be careful. Come on!"

Tristan looked at his own keycard and swiped it down the door. It hissed and slid open again. Arika had already ventured out, and Tristan hurried to catch up with her.

"Zale's coming with us."

"Yeah, I guess." She raised her voice, glancing over her shoulder. A malicious glint lit up her eyes. "Come on, brother! Let me prove who the better one is!"

Behind them, the door opened again.

District Eight Male, Judas Ranaad, 18

There could be positives and negatives to having such a bigger alliance. There'd certainly be more of an opportunity to turn them on each other. But on the other hand, the situation seemed to have lost him Sage, as the boy from her District had attached himself to her side. And the younger tributes, who he'd never wanted to begin with, had found another one to hand together with. As well as stealing Mercury.

"Most of us are with others from our District," said the boy from One, looking around their group. "Why don't we just pair up and pick a door?"

Judas glanced at Nadine. She was scowling, her face red from blood and tears, but it didn't look like any of that was connected to him.

And if anyone was going to be loyal to him, it would be another from his own District.

Maybe he could talk her into his fun, show her how everyone here was out to get them and they just needed to strike first.

It might work.

"All in favor of that plan?" asked the girl from Twelve.

Most of those gathered agreed, and quickly matched themselves up with another from their District. There were three from Twelve, the girl and two younger boys. The boy from Eleven had attached himself to him too.

"We're taking the staircase they don't," he muttered to Nadine. That was an alliance that would be more loyal to each other than to him, and there were more of them than him and Nadine. The boy from Eleven, so many years younger, might actually be stronger and fitter from all his years working in the sun.

Nadine shrugged. "Whatever."

They stayed aside until the group from Twelve picked one of the staircases, the one next to the pair from Nine.

Judas grinned. "Oh, that's perfect. Come on." He led Nadine to the staircase the Nines had taken. "Let's draw some blood."

District Seven Male, Micah Bradley, 14

Sage was still quiet, and Micah felt saddened that he didn't have a friend from home he could actually talk to, but it was still good to be with her. She followed him up the glass staircase to the heavy metal door at the top.

"I'll go first and wait for you," he said, pulling out his keycard. Beneath them, the pair from Eight had taken this staircase too, and were following quickly.

At first it looked like the door led to nowhere, but when he stepped forward, he found a surface. A glass bridge, like the ones over the abyss. Up ahead, Amarine was helping Jarrod across, his injured leg leaving a trail of blood behind them.

The door closed, but reopened a moment later as Sage came through.

"I'm so glad you're with me now," Micah said as they started to cross. It was scary, feeling like there was nothing beneath your feet, but if he didn't think about it too much, it was just like being in the treetops. "Everyone else I was with had a friend from their District with them. Well, except Cali. It was fine, but a bit lonely, even though I was with all those people, you know? But now I'm with you."

Sage did something with her hands, but he wasn't sure what she meant.

"I don't mind that you don't speak. I'll speak for both of us. Or you can talk if you want to. I don't mind either way. Maybe we should find the others too, if we can. The Twelves are all together now. District Ten too, but they've got all the way ahead. How do you think they managed that?"

They'd all been let out of the rooms at the same time, which meant the Tens must just be really good at climbing. Which felt wrong, somehow. District Ten kept livestock. Seven and Eleven did trees.

Sage shrugged, hurrying on ahead.

"Yeah, me neither. But maybe we can look for Terro and Iris on the next level. I'm not sure about the Farleys. They seemed kinda scare–"

Something caught him in the back, throwing him forward, and for a terrible moment he was falling. His head and shoulders went over the edge of the bridge, his arms finding nothing but empty air to support him.

Then someone had the back of his jacket, pulling him up. Micah fell backwards onto the bridge, watching the backs of the Eights as they ran ahead.

"You okay?" whispered Sage.

"I think– You spoke!"

She smiled and helped him to his feet. Micah glanced back. He couldn't see anyone else behind him yet, but that didn't mean no one was coming.

And he didn't want to be pushed again.