Chapter 16
1201 Words
I did the Jayhawks first because everyone in this alliance was confirmed. Unless I made a mistake, in which case tell me and I'll remove the Tribute.
Jay Dallas POV
There were fifty-three people in this Games with me. It was obvious I wouldn't be able to do this on my own. It was also plain I was going to need the strongest players on my side to have a chance against the Careers. For whatever reason they considered me a big enough target to gang up on last time. Unless I had major support, they'd do it again.
With the help of Orchard I made a list of all the other Tributes. We went through them and circled all the names that displayed skills or attributes that would make them suitable allies. I knew I wasn't the strongest Tribute, so a few of them were brutish types. I also knew I'd need survivors and thinkers, so some of the smaller Tributes were on there as well. And of course I added my old friend Zach. It was great to see him again, even under the circumstances. I finished District Twelve and we looked over the list.
Frankie, Apollo, Zach, Asper, Calvary, Dane, Reiner, Jean, Alex, Natasha
Now it was time to recruit.
Apollo POV
"It's not going to be the same without you as my ally," I said to Peppermint as we ate breakfast before training.
"I'm not about to let you charge in there alone. I got you covered, little brother," she said.
"Hey, I'm still as old as you... sort of," I objected. She stuck her tongue out at me.
"Anyway, there are a lot of Tributes looking to ally with you. Of course, I've carefully screened them. I think your best bet is Jay Dallas. I can tell he's good with strategy and his group should complement you," she said.
"Who else is in his group?" I asked. Unlike a lot of people, I didn't mind being a follower, and being part of a team sounded even better.
Asper Fin POV
All I wanted was one moment of peace. Everywhere I went people screamed at me.
"Asper! We love you!"
"That was so brave!"
"Let me be your baby momma!" That one was just weird. It was obvious I would have plenty of sponsors, but what I wouldn't have was quiet.
"Psst! In here!" someone whispered as I ran down a hallway from another mob. I ducked into a supply closet and Jay slammed the door shut before they saw it.
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem," he said. "Hey, since I found you, I'm going to cut right to the chase. Want to be allies again?"
"It worked so well the last time," I said.
"Ha ha. This time you're going to be rich, and I have a plan for the Cornucopia. If we're all near each other we'll bunch up. If not, there are going to be enough of us that we can't be more than a few platforms away from an ally. We'll buddy up and watch each others' backs," he said.
"What could go wrong?" I asked. Everything, of course, but there was no way around that. "You got a deal."
Calvary Warsaw POV
"I dunno. You got any other girls?" I asked.
"I've been trying to find Natasha. If Alex joins, she will too. Otherwise, there aren't as many strong girls this year. I can ask Haber if you want," Jay said.
"There is not enough beer in the world to make me work with her," I said. "Guess I'll have to be the smurfette."
"So you're in?" he asked. I took a minute and considered it. I'd never been one to trust people, except Dustin. But then, I knew more about my fellow Tributes than anyone else. I knew how they reacted in life or death situations. I'd seen how they lived and I'd seen how they died. I knew Jay was honest and he would have helped his allies if he'd lived. The people already on his team, like Apollo and Asper, were selfless enough to sacrifice their lives for their siblings. I also had to confront the fact that I couldn't do this on my own. Emma taught me that it's okay to let other people help you. If she'd been here I would have allied with her. For whatever reason they didn't pick her, and I missed her more than I let on. She was stronger than any of the girls here, but she was still gone. The Capitol made a great mistake.
"It's the smart decision," I said as I offered my hand. "Call me a Jayhawk."
Caldwell Brax POV
Drone said I should get an ally, but I don't want one. People act one way and then they act another. They don't stay the same and it's confusing. I would rather stay on my own and try to avoid the others. But Drone is smart and he knows what I'm like. If he says I should have an ally, I will consider it.
There were a few different alliances forming that I'd noticed. One girl was going up to all the girls and asking them to ally with her. I'm not a girl, so she probably doesn't want me. There was also a boy who was asking a lot of people. In large group like that it would be easier for me to blend in. Sometimes a lot of people aren't as bad as just one. I decided to get it all over with when I saw him in the cafeteria.
"Can I be a bird with you?" I asked. He looked at me oddly.
"Oh, a jaybird?" he seemed to consider it. "What are you good at?"
"I am very good at math, but I am not good at conversation," I said. Jay laughed.
"You're kind of funny, but you know what? The more the merrier. You're one of us."
Natasha, Jean, Reiner, Frankie, and Dane are red herrings because they're not set to be Jayhawks. If they do join I'll add them in. I didn't give Zach a POV because I know Jay's submitter made him and he's here to be Jay's ally. As such, he doesn't have much of a personality. Caldwell wanted to be a Jayhawk and Jay's submitter said they're taking pretty much everyone, so I added him. I can remove him if necessary.
ALLIANCES: IMPORTANT
Here's what I've gleaned from reviews and PMs.
1. Vera's alliance has been confirmed by the creators. I'll go with that list unless one of the creators contacts me to change it. It includes Miall, Priscilla, Hunter, Kazuo, Farlon, Felix, Jean, Timber, Reiner, Whyte, Vera, Frankie, Shogo, Celestial, Yasmine, Lyte, Thompson
2. Myrtle is going wherever Dominique and Elara are.
3. Cordin wants to be with Adair and Ava.
4. Mouse wants to ally with Wyatt and possibly others.
5. Heidi is confirmed for alliance 3 from chapter 6.
6. Emmaline wants to be in Haber's sss Alliance
Since one alliance has been confirmed I can probably work out the others by removing any double-allied Tributes. In the meantime, I'll do the big honking one next.
- Writer
