Power to the People: The Thirty-ninth Hunger Games

Chapter 17

Jynx Susurrus POV

I didn't know what to do, and I hated it. I was supposed to be in the pack, like a good Career from One. But whenever I sat with them, all I could see was Victory charming their pants off and quietly hating me. They all loved her, and I just looked like a wet blanket. I didn't fit it, and something had to give.

I knew it would be easy to find Kazuo. I'd seen him around One a few times. He went out when he wanted to, but he generally preferred to stay indoors. I found him in the One lounge reading a book and tapped on the doorframe.

"Hey, It's Jynx," I said. It didn't take a genius to know a Victor wouldn't like to be snuck up on. He only jumped a little, so it worked.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

"Yeah, I need to ask you something," I said. I sat on the other end of the couch and mustered up my courage. Skydiving or juggling knives, those were easy. Letting someone down? That was the scary thing. But I was a Career through and through, and I went for it all at once.

"I was thinking maybe I wouldn't join the Careers," I said. I tensed up, ready to change my mind if he got mad or said it was stupid. But he didn't even react.

"Okay," he said. He tilted his book up slightly but waited in case I wasn't done.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"You don't have to be in the pack. Sometimes it's better not to be. It's always tense when so many competitors are so close together. I wasn't in the pack when I won," he said.

"Yeah, I guess you weren't," I said. He was barely with them the first time around, either. I felt a surge of relief and confidence. I was being such a worrywart. I was going to do fine. Right away I started thinking about new strategies and weaknesses I had to correct for. I didn't want to bother Kazuo anymore, though, so I did my planning elsewhere.

I wasn't worried about telling the others I was out. Victory would be delighted and the others barely knew me. If I got lucky they'd underestimate me, but it was more likely that they'd all studied me in depth already. But I didn't need to worry about any of that. I'd done the scary part already. Winning the Games would be much easier.

Victory Amarinthine POV

Jynx was out. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I appreciated him removing himself from the picture, but I also couldn't believe he was being so stupid. After the Bloodbath, who's the Careers' first target? Their biggest threat. He had the entire pack gunning for him, and no matter how perfect he was, he was going down.

"Here's the plan. We'll all pick a target and go for them at the Bloodbath, when we'll all be together. We should pick the ones who know most about survival, so keep an eye on them during training," I said at one of our planning sessions.

"Thanks, President Amarinthine," Maris said.

"What was that?" I asked.

"She was just wondering who made you boss," Mary said. I decided right then I didn't like Maris, but I kept my face diplomatic.

"It's a good idea, isn't it?" I said.

"Yeah, it is," Maris admitted. I gave her my most grateful smile. I still don't like you, I thought.

"We probably don't have to waste time on the younger Tributes. They'll sort themselves out," Mary said.

"Good idea," Maris said. Too often, the Careers go for quantity over quality at the Bloodbath. Killing ten kids might look good for sponsors, but it leaves too many loose ends.

"What do you think?" I asked Floki. He tended to be quiet, though I sensed it was because he preferred action and not because he lacked intelligence.

"It's a good plan. I want my target to be one of the stronger ones, though. I want it to be a real fight," he said.

"Fair enough," I said. No skin off my back if he wants to do all the hard work. As much as I suspected Maris, I found myself liking Floki. He was the only Career I'd ever heard of that I knew wouldn't kill me in my sleep. He might kill me, but he'd attack from the front.

I'd learned a lot in one session. I'd learned that I could take a leadership role, but the others would never be obedient followers. We were all expert planners. That's what made us Careers. I'd also learned where I stood with the others. I knew who to stick close to and who to keep between me and a certain someone else. There were a thousand variables in the Games, and any one of them could kill me. I had to nail down as many as I could, and I was on my way.

Ash Smith POV

Jynx wasn't in the Careers either. It was going to be a small pack this year. All the better for us outsiders. I was still interested in one or two allies. Maybe he'd be interested. We could pick up a third who knew about the boring stuff like firemaking and we could do some real damage.

The training room wasn't open yet, so I was in the lounge watching the older Games. I wanted to see all the Victors and see what made them win. Last year's wasn't much help. Millicent won largely because the other Tribute was wounded when they fought. Before that, the recent trend was that intelligent Tributes had been winning. Wiress and Beetee both thought their way to the top. Personally, I preferred practice to theory, but I still learned that I should watch out for the smart ones.

The tapes stretched on forever. It seemed like torture to wait for the training room to open. I came here to fight, not to sit around doing nothing. Back home, if I didn't work, I didn't eat, at least until the mayor found me. There was another thing that made me different from the other Careers. They learned the right way to fight and the proper form. I learned how to win. I fought on the streets with no spotters or equipment. Low blows and backstabbings were expected and planned for. I knew to expect that they would come for me at the Bloodbath or right after, and I knew when to fight and when to run.

I gave up studying and wandered around the building. It was neat to see the Tributes from other Districts. Some of the girls were real cute, and I wished they didn't have to die. I went from floor to floor looking at all the attractions and the luxuries, from a shopping center to a tiny zoo. If only there had been anything that could have helped me prepare. Even a laser tag place would do something.

I reached the very top of the Games Center and looked over the edge. There weren't any railings, since they used force fields instead. For a moment I considered chucking myself over the edge just to get a rush. How far down is it? I know there are a hundred and eight stories. I sure walked up a lot of stairs.

Stairs...

I went back to the stairwell I'd climbed and looked down its endless spiral. It wasn't the main staircase and almost everyone used the elevators anyway, so it was empty. I wasn't supposed to train before the training room opened, but there was nothing in the rules about climbing some stairs. If I wanted to climb them a few times more than necessary, that was all right. If I was especially energetic and wanted to run up them, that was all right. I didn't even know if I could run all the way up all those stairs. There had to be a thousand of them. But there was only one way to find out. I started the long walk down.

Mary Ellen Westley POV

Jynx and Ash were idiots who gained themselves powerful enemies. Victory thought she was all that and was competent enough for me to tolerate. Maris was a poser and Floki was a nut. It didn't look good for the proud reputation of the Career Districts, but it looked good for me.

Since I couldn't train yet, I was enjoying some old-fashioned people-watching. The outlying Tributes were so cute, making plans and discussing alliances like they thought they had a chance. The little girl and the crazy volunteer from Eight were braiding each others' hair and the hick boys from Nine and Ten were discussing an alliance. I wondered which one would be my first target.

I grew bored of the show and went to find Pray. Of all the losers I was stuck with, she was the only useful face. I knew she was at my level because she'd actually won a Games. We could discuss things as equals.

"So do you have advice for me or what?" I asked Pray when I found her. She was always so serious. Her Games had been over for years. Couldn't she lighten up?

"Stop patting yourself on the back and earn your pride," she said.

"Wow, way to pull the punches," I said. She looked at me like I was wasting her time and I folded my arms.

"You don't win by pulling punches," she said.

"Don't you ever think about anything but the Games?" I asked.

"No. And neither should you, if you want to live," she said.

"Like you know anything about living," I said. All she knew about was killing.

"Sounds like you have it all figured out, then," Pray said.

"Ooh, I didn't know you were capable of sarcasm," I said. I had to give the old battleax credit for that.

"Yep, that and killing. For the rest, you're on your own," she said. She actually waved me off like I'd overstayed my appointment. I didn't need her. She had a lot of good advice for me, but I didn't need her. I didn't need any of the others, either. I would have done fine any year, but this was shaping up to be an especially weak crop. I had it in the bag.

Maris Calder POV

I never realized how different my family was from most Careers' until I heard the others talking. Tori's parents were insanely proud and demanding of their little Career. I didn't hear much from Jynx before he left, but he mentioned how high his parents' expectations were. Ash was an orphan, but he still had the mayor. Mary practiced with her father at home and Floki's entire family was obsessed with battle. I was the only one whose parents weren't so hot on the idea.

It was only after I left that I realized I was wrong about my parents. My father was never close to me, but he took the time to pass on an old heirloom and see me off. Maybe he didn't disapprove of my training because he was disappointed. Maybe he just didn't want to see me die and he didn't know why I would want to do this.

I knew much more about my mother. She and I used to talk every day as she brushed my hair. Of course I was old enough to do it myself, but it made her so happy and I loved the moments we shared. I could talk to her about anything, from troubles at school to broken hearts. I knew I was capable and I didn't regret my decisions, but I was starting to wish I'd thought more about her before I decided to train. I may not have been worried, but she was probably at home missing her little girl and wondering if the next time she saw me onscreen might be the last.

And then there was Toby. I'd loved him ever since I first saw him, all pink and wrapped up like a taco. He looked up to me and I loved being with him. He wanted to be like me. Would that extend to the Games? It wouldn't if I died, I supposed. But what if I won? Would he want to be a Victor just like his big sister? He talked about the Academy sometimes, and I'd never realized how unsettling that was. I couldn't imagine my sweet little brother with blood spattered on his face or throwing knives at a target.

I should have been a better example. I should have spent more time fishing with him and less time practicing for a fight I never really planned to volunteer for. What did I think I was doing at the Academy? Was it just playtime for me? He wouldn't see it that way. He'd see it as the thing his cool big sister did.

I'd planned to put on a brave face through the Games so I wouldn't scare Toby. Maybe it was better if I didn't. If I made it look painful and hard and dirty, he wouldn't want to go. Of course, the thing that would scare him the most would be to watch his sister die. I couldn't let that happen.

Floki Grimm POV

I was glad the Games had brought me and Tori together. She was bright and vivacious, and she appreciated me for who I was. I never mentioned it to any of the others, but I was never popular in Four. I never knew why the others fixated on me and decided I was the one they would mock and scorn. When the outside world rejected me, I retreated to my family and the things we knew to be true. I began to treasure the ancient legends and look forward to a way of life where people were judged by their actions and not their reputations. Tori was a wonderful girl, and I hoped I saw her at the feasting tables.

I naturally found my way to the Victor's Hall, where I examined the busts of the Victors before me. I stopped before Jonah's to admire it. My mentor seemed so strong and wise. I appreciated all the time and knowledge he gave to me. I paid a visit to Shelle's as well. Even though I didn't know her as well, I wanted to give honor to Four's other Victor.

There was something missing from the Hall, however. I wished there was a marker for all the other Tributes- the ones that died. The ones that fell in battle deserved a place of honor as well as those who won. Others were young and innocent and never should have been sent to war in the first place. The idea of a bunch of sheltered twelve-year-olds in Valhalla brought on a smile. Of course, Freya would take care of them. They'd be in the gardens of Folvangr where there were no grizzled warriors to scare them.

I wished I didn't have to wait so long for the battle to begin. I was already prepared, and I had been for years. Even training wouldn't still my restlessness. That was just playacting. We weren't allowed to do anything dangerous or spar with each other. I wanted to truly test my strength and see what I was made of. There can be no life without the risk of death.

When I returned to the pack, I became aware of how different things were since I'd met them. They accepted me as one of their own. It was like we were soldiers in the same army, even though I knew we would eventually break apart. The war culture of the Games was a far fitter home for me than the quiet seas and insidious insults of Four. I wished I could stay forever, fighting again and again and only stopping to be healed. I wished we could all fight the others forever and our band would never split apart. I could have been happy forever with Tori and the others. I'd never had better friends.

Holy long chapter Batman! I didn't even notice as I was writing it. I did try to make sure each Career got some development so everyone could make more informed votes, so that probably affected things. I also included Jynx and Ash even though they're not in the alliance just because they fit the best with the other Careers and now I definitely won't forget them.