Hunger Games: All-Stars

Chapter 17

Priscilla Piscot POV

Some of the other Careers were starting to form a sort of uber Career pack, and they approached me early on. Honestly, I didn't know if I even was a Career anymore. The whole reason I trained was to kill Castiel, and I made my decision there. I found out there were more important things than killing. Life wasn't about survival. None of us did that in the end. It was better to enjoy life while it remains and spend it doing what you love. I knew I was allying with Miall, of course, but other than that I didn't know.

I didn't expect Vera to sit down next to me at lunch. I especially didn't expect her to be alone.

"You're usually with Whyte," I said. She frowned.

"He's taking this really hard. I mean, we all are, since we were dead, but he says he's just going to die again and he started drinking. While he's moping I thought I'd start scoping out allies for us. Maybe that will cheer him up," she said.

"So you came to me?" I asked.

"As much as anyone can here, I can trust you. You warned me about Sky, as much good as it did either of us," she said. I turned to Miall, who was scarfing lasagna on my other side. He nodded with a full mouth.

"If you don't mind taking on this clown too, you got the start of a wonderful alliance," I said.

Frankie Disney POV

"I made a list of Tributes that could be useful for an alliance," I said to Vera. I handed her the paper and she looked over it.

"Priscilla- yeah. Hunter, Kazuo, Shogo- yeah, Careers and all. Jean- I don't understand him. Wait, Yasmine and Lyte?" she said.

"I put on some younger Tributes so we could get sponsors," I said.

"That's... logical," she said. She seemed to disapprove of me. Then again, I was used to that.

"Thompson?" she read.

"He wasn't on at first. He saw me writing the list and asked me to add him. When I asked why he started crying and said he was terrified he was going to die and that the Careers wouldn't take him. He kept asking so I finally said I'd ask," I said.

"I don't trust him. He's a self-centered ass and he'd only be here for protection," Vera said.

"None of us are here to make friends. But you're right," I said. I wondered what she thought about the younger children. Most people actually cared about what happened to other people. I never would, but I tried to act right even if I didn't feel right. Younger Tributes would bring sponsors, but I also didn't want them to get hurt. Does it still count as doing good if you don't feel anything? Maybe it counts as more good since you don't get the happy feelings but you do it anyway. Vera didn't seem to think of it like that, but she took the list and thanked me anyway.

Kazuo Braun POV

My first love Kazuo,

So much has happened and I fear anything I say could bring you more pain. When I lost you, I thought I couldn't go on... I would have joined you if it wasn't for Glamour. I gave my promise to another to give her a family, but she's yours and having a piece of you made life worth living... I think of you every time I see her and every time I say my son's name... She understands what happened and she hopes this time you'll come home to her... Don't worry about the training. It's just the style. I'll never let her volunteer... None of us blame you for what happened... Couldn't have killed Pray either... Love you forever, my priceless rose.

Your Love,

Ruby

Correspondence with home is usually prohibited for Tributes, but the people demanded that the doomed lovers meet again. I was endless grateful for their tact and sensitivity. I'd read the letter a dozen times and kept it folded in my pocket. My hand was resting on it when someone interrupted me.

"Hey. A few of us are gathering people for an alliance. Interested?" the boy asked.

"Who's in it?" I asked. After Pray, I didn't really want to be in a Career pack, but other allies were all right.

"Vera, Priscilla, Frankie, me... oh, I'm Farlon," he said.

"Farlon?" I jumped to my feet and my heart leaped with me. A smile split my face and I looked at the boy's face. He didn't look like my old friend, but the Capitol had changed Silken before.

"Yeah..." the boy took a step back and drew in on himself. "Farlon Harlon. Have we met?"

Oh. I should have known the Capitol would never bring Silken back after the things he said. What did they do to my friend? Wasn't it bad enough to kill twenty-three of us every year? Nothing is beneath them.

Farlon Harlon POV

All I did was introduce myself and Kazuo acted like he'd seen a ghost. I was almost sorry I wasn't whoever he was looking for. They must have been really close. He still seemed interested in the alliance, thought. We had a pretty good group coming together. There were two other alliances so far: the uber Careers and the "Jayhawks". Obviously I was out of the Careers, and it seemed odd that Jay named his team after himself. I looked into the 'Hawks. They seemed solid, but this alliance had more trained Tributes. I had the feeling Jay and his allies would last a fair amount of time, but they were just too nice to win.

Wow, we're gonna be a really big alliance if everyone we want joins. Including us, there were seventeen names on Frankie's list. That's almost every Tribute in a normal Games. It would have been just us and the Careers. Even with the larger group we were still about a third of the Tributes. Eight-people alliances didn't happen often. Maybe we could overcome the uber Careers by sheer numbers. There were more of them, but nowhere near seventeen. Some of us were even Careers ourselves, like Kazuo and Priscilla. All in all, I'd say our odds were pretty good.

Felix Veaux POV

It was inevitable that Reiner, Shogo, Hunter, Lyte and I wound up together again. Reiner and Lyte came right away. Hunter took a bit longer, and the Career tried to woo him, but eventually he ended up with the b-team again. Shogo... Shogo wasn't as open as the others. He seemed preoccupied. I suspected it was his son. He had the only motivation that could be greater than life. Out of all of us, he wanted this the most. I knew if it came down to it he'd have to put Kanu before the rest of us, and he probably stayed distant because he was afraid of what he might do.

But then, I had Tillo. Every time I saw her she surprised me again with her strength and fortitude. She was stronger than any of us, even Shogo. Otherwise she wouldn't have won. Someone of her background and skills had no place winning the Games. There were a thousand reasons to love her, and I desperately wanted to come home to her. I didn't know how I felt about her son. I understood that she was with Hunter before we fell in love, and I didn't resent any of them. If I won, I'd try to be a father to him in spirit even though I wasn't in body, and if I didn't make it, I wanted Hunter to win for him. I'd discussed the matter with Hunter. His feelings for Tillo were deep and sincere as well, and if I couldn't win to be her lover, I hoped he could win to be her friend.

Reiner Ludwig POV

The assistants tried to tell me and Lyte that we weren't allowed in the kitchen, but there was nothing they could do. Eventually they gave up and left so they could pretend they didn't know. When Lyte asked if he could come with when I mentioned I was going to do some baking, I wanted to cry. I'd failed him in the Games. He died in the Bloodbath and none of us could save him. I expected him to be terrified and to hate all of us, but he trusted me as much as he had the first time. After what happened, I knew I couldn't be sure I'd save him, but I would stay with him until the end.

"So what should we make?" Lyte asked as I looked at the endless ingredients before us. Appliances from a simple stove to some sort of dehydrator waited for us to unlock their wonders.

"What you feeling like? Fruit, chocolate, pastry?" I asked.

"Something really cool," Lyte said. I thought through all the pictures of things I'd seen in advertisements and magazines back home, wonderful things that were commonplace in the Capitol and impossible in the Districts.

"I've always wanted to try sculpting sugar," I said.

"You can sculpt sugar?" Lyte asked. His eyes were as wide as plums.

"Yeah, but it just tastes like sugar, so we should put it on top of a cake or something," I said. "We're gonna need a blowtorch."

"Blowtorch? No way!"

Lyte Anderson POV

I'd already died once. I knew it was going to happen again. People like me didn't win the Games. People like Reiner and Felix did, and that was what I wanted. I knew they were sad that I died and that they blamed themselves, so I acted like I didn't even remember it. I remembered dying. If I ever did become a doctor, it would have given me great perspective. I wasn't going to be a real doctor, but in the Arena I could help my allies when they got hurt. If one of my friends won, I would have helped them get there, and if I helped someone live, then I was a real doctor after all.

I never blamed Reiner and the others for what happened. They did their best and I could see from their reactions how much they cared about me. Even though I knew I was going to die, I still trusted them. It didn't make sense- I knew they couldn't save me and I still trusted they would. I knew they'd stay with me until the end came. I didn't want them to know how scared I was, so I pretended that I thought I'd live. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Since I knew I was going to die, I could learn to cope with it and enjoy the time I had left.

I couldn't change what was going to happen. It wouldn't do any good to worry about it. The time would come to fight and die, but now I was in the Capitol and I could do all sorts of fun things. I'd never baked a cake before. The best part was putting the flour in the mixer. It made a huge cloud all over the kitchen. I couldn't make my life last a day longer than it was going to. I knew how much time I had left and that made it precious. Instead of worrying, I'd spend it with my friends. I'll be ready when death comes, but it hasn't come yet.

Jean Roberts POV

It was so different last time I was here. I was arrogant and ready to fight. I ended up getting what I asked for, and that made me realize what the future held. This time around I was hesitant. I had one small but priceless victory. More than anything else, all of us Tributes wanted to be remembered. Even death can be accepted if we still exist in memory. With the resurrection Games and all the celebration, we'd be remembered until the end of time.

Honestly, I was so scared I didn't know where to start. Being remembered took the horror out of dying but not the pain. With nowhere else to begin, I started looking for other Tributes from my Games. I'd wondered if we were going to stick together by year. There seemed to be more Tributes the more recent the Games got. There weren't many from any years earlier than mine. Memories fade and interest wanes. My heart chilled for Tributes from long ago who would never live again because the Capitol is fickle.

I saw Apollo with his alliance, but I didn't think that was a good fit. Peppermint scared me. I wouldn't want to win at the expense of her brother. I gravitated toward Timber and Celestial instead. They were much less intimidating.

"Hey, who's the leader?" I asked the pair and the group milling around them. Most of them looked at a fair-haired, pale girl.

"Uh, I started the alliance. I don't know if I'm ready to be the leader," she said. "I'm Vera."

"I'm Jean. You looking for more members?" I asked.

"Oh, you're Jean? We were actually going to ask you. This makes things easier," Vera said. Just like that, I was in. It seemed like a good group. Maybe with so many other people, all this wouldn't be so scary.

Yasmine Jackson POV

I was hoping maybe some of the other younger children would ally with me. I was unprepared when this huge tall boy with a stony face walked up to me. He looked like he could kill a kid and not even flinch.

"Are you Yasmine?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said timidly. What could he possibly want? Was he going to tell me he would kill me first?

"We wanted to know if you wanted to join our alliance. Most of us are over there," he said, pointing to large group of Tributes.

"Me?" I asked.

"It was my idea. I don't want you little kids getting picked off," he said. Instantly I felt bad for thinking he was a murderer. Just because he was scary looking didn't mean he was bad. If he was looking out for me, maybe I'd last longer than a day. The choice was obvious.

Timber Jones POV

I'd thought Valerie would want to ally again, but she never spoke up. Maybe she thought I was too goofy to make it all the way. Maybe looking at me reminded her of what happened last time. I was still open if she changed her mind, but in the meantime I'd found some more friends. There were so many it was hard to even remember them all, but most of them had something unique about them.

Celestial I knew from my last Games. She was the one with the otters. Priscilla and Vera were pretty much the leaders, and Miall stayed with Priscilla. Lyte was lighthearted so I could usually remember his name. Then there was that big boy with the funny name, Reindeer or something. Yasmine- not Jasmine- was the little girl. Then there was that other boy... no, maybe I already listed him.

This was impossible. You know what this group needed? Nicknames.

Celestial Yeager POV

This was the best group for me, but I didn't feel like I connected with anyone in it. I kept wondering what Dane was doing and who he allied with. Maybe he was with the Careers. He wasn't like them, though. I hoped they didn't find out.

"Well, well. What's a pretty girl like you doing here?" someone asked. It was Apollo, Peppermint's brother. I'd seen him chatting with Capitol girls before, but he'd never seemed interested in me.

"Trying to survive, like everyone else," I said. He leaned against the wall.

"Why don't you ditch that lame group and join a real alliance?" he asked.

"I looked into it, but honestly, there are so many boys I'd be embarrassed," I said. There were two girls, but they seemed so intense. Then Dane appeared out of nowhere.

"Excuse me, is he giving you trouble?" he asked. He stared at Apollo, who stared back in confusion, then realization, then resentment.

"No," I started. Oh dear. This was going to be a problem.

Thompson Kirsten POV

How the mighty have fallen. Thompson Kirsten, rich playboy of District Two, head student at the Academy, Career extraordinaire, frightened to tears at the sight of a little girl. Every time I saw Alayza I remembered the pain and the surprise when I saw who my murderer was. If I couldn't even beat her, what chance did I have?

I went straight for the other Careers. Once I was with them I felt like part of a group again, and I felt better knowing they'd have my back until the split. Then Kestrel noticed me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He glared at me.

"I'm part of the pack, right?" I asked. "I'm a Career."

He laughed. "I watched the tape of your Games. You were a bloodbath. Get out of here." I looked at the others and they were all waiting for me to leave. I searched for a sympathetic face, but there was none to be found. Tears started to well up as I slunk away. And that's how I came to be alone in the cafeteria waiting to die. When Frankie happened by with a list, I knew he was my last chance.

Shogo Hara POV

I watched every second of Kanu's Journey on the tablet Jonah gave me. For all the Capitol did for me, they did right by my son, and it was worth everything I went through to see him happy. I stayed in corners and kept my headphones in so my allies wouldn't talk to me. We'd been through so much together. It sickened me that every time I looked at them I saw what I'd do to them in order to see my son again. None of them could trust me. I loved them so much, but I loved Kanu more. There was no right answer to any of this. There was no room to consider my own happiness. That's what being a father means. I had to put Kanu first, no matter what that made me. I was already a murderer, and there was no limit to the people I'd kill for my son. Everything I did was to make sure his future would be better than mine ever could have been.

Only one thing bothered me about my allies. Most of them were skilled or at least competent. The one that worried me was Whyte. I hadn't seen him since we go to the Games center. I'd heard enough to know that he was sabotaging his own chances with drink. He was a danger to himself and to his allies. There's enough pain in the world without adding to it. If he didn't get his act together, he wouldn't last long in the Games.

Hunter Thompson POV

I stopped myself cold when I realized I didn't know my own motivation. Some of us, like Vera and Jean, were scared of dying. Nothing to be ashamed of there. Others had someone to get home to, like Felix. Tillo's son may have been mine biologically, but her love was with Felix. If I got home I'd care for the boy, but Felix was truly his father. Some of us were here for honor and glory. Fewer than usual this time, since we all knew where that ended up, but still some of us. I'd trained for those things, but I didn't value them. So what was I fighting for?

I wanted to live, of course. Maybe that was it. There was more to do and more to see. All my life I'd been training for a chance to die. I'd never thought about a career or a family. There was a whole world outside of the Games and I'd never seen it. Maybe I finally wanted to.

Whyte Roberts POV

I sat in my room draining a second bottle of whatever the bartender had given me. The pain and fear was only going to stop when I inevitably died again. Drinking helped me forget that.

The door opened and Vera walked in. She saw I was drinking and crossed her arms.

"What are you doing to yourself? We don't know how much time we have left. Didn't you tell me to make the most of it?" she said.

"What does it matter? We don't have a chance," I said. Vera couldn't know how much it hurt to look at her. She was going to die too. She was so full of light and life and they would break it all over again.

"While you've been wallowing in self-pity, I've put together a pretty kicking team. I think you'll be impressed," Vera said. For a moment, I never wanted to see her again. I never wanted to look at her and remember how much I cared. I couldn't bear to lose her again or to cause her pain with my own death. I wanted to drive her away. I spat out the most hurtful thing I could think of.

"Impressed? What could you do? You couldn't even live a day without me, stupid," I said. Vera's eyes widened and she stiffened. Her hands tensed into fists and she seemed to glow with anger. I regretted my words right away and wanted to take them back, but she turned without a word and left the room. I was right. I did ruin everything.

Vera Busattil POV

I didn't have time for Whyte's whiny pettishnes. His words hurt deeply, but I knew he'd come back eventually. If I'd stayed he probably would have apologized, but that's how I react when things like this happen. I need to get away for a while and work things out myself. I wanted to see some other people anyway. When I was ready I would go back to Whyte.

Something was odd about Frankie. He asked me to ask Whyte to send his mother some money, since he was rich. I knew Whyte wasn't that type but I said I'd try. Then he said his mother would thank me. Not him, just his mother. Frankie was so cold. He wanted the weaker Tributes as allies but only so we could get more sponsors. Didn't he have any heart? I was suspicious of his choices and wanted to get some fresh perspectives.

My first target was Thompson. Of all Frankie's picks, Thompson was the oddest. He was the stereotypical Career: merciless and cunning. He'd stab us in the back as soon as look at us, and I wanted to know his reasons for wanting to be in our alliance. I found him in the Tribute lounge and confronted him.

"Frankie said you wanted to be in our alliance. Why?" I asked. He looked like he'd been caught crying in public. He seemed scared of me, like I was above him. "Why aren't you with the Careers?"

He hesitated and spoke quietly. "They wouldn't take me. I died too early. That's why I want to be with you. I don't want to die again," he said. His eyes were shiny with tears and he darted off before I could ask anything else. I saw then that he wasn't a threat at all. He was a scared boy and Frankie still wanted him. It couldn't be just for an advantage- Thompson was a liability, not an asset. The only reason Frankie could want him is in order to help him. As cold as he was, he did care about others. Something was missing in his soul, but it was still there. Guilt settled in and I saw I'd misjudged Frankie all along. Whatever he was, and I still didn't know, he wasn't a monster.

They're not really called the Big Fat 17-Member Alliance (they're open to ideas though), but that's what it felt like after I had to write 17 unique POVs with interconnecting storylines and unique arcs. This chapter is four times as long as my usual chapters and by far the longest chapter I've ever written for fanfic.

A few notes:

1. Thompson was marked as possibly in the alliance so I wrote his part and can remove it if he changes his mind.

2. Natasha and Alex have joined the Jayhawks. I'll add their part to that chapter after I've recovered from this 4000 word monstrosity.

3. Ultimatemaxmericashipper became the first person to use our forum to make a suggestion when she said Apollo should hit on Celestial. If you're interested it's still up and I'll repost the link if people ask.

4. It would be helpful if people could post or review which Tributes are "active"- which ones they entered with hopes of winning and which ones are their creations. I want to make sure the creator of the winning Tribute is still around. I don't mind people leaving but if their Tribute wins they won't even know and it will be more fun if it's someone participating.

5. Next chapter will mix another alliance with training. If you want your Tribute to learn anything in training let me know and I'll add it whether or not they get a POV.

6. Shoot, it was supposed to be Ava Apollo hit on! I had a whole storyline planned for that so Apollo's gonna be fickle and ditch Celestial.