Hunger Games: All-Stars

Chapter 5

Xzavier Thomas POV

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I died. Then they brought me back so I could die again. Perhaps now it's safe to say it can't get worse, but I wasn't going to risk it. Most of the Tributes were probably shocked and couldn't fathom that they were alive again. I knew there was nothing beneath the Capitol. I gathered my thoughts as the doctors fussed over me.

"Did Acee ever ask about me?" I asked. Most of the doctors ignored me as they worked, but one answered.

"She asked who was on the list to be resurrected," he said. Oh. Is that it? I saw no reason to press the matter. Let her make the first move. If she thought I didn't care about her, then she would know how it felt.

Celestial Yeager POV

Peppermint held my hand and everything faded. I thought I was going somewhere better, hopefully somewhere with animals. Instead, as I floated up, the air grew thicker and merged into something wet. I ran my hands through it and drew myself up.

"She's awake."

I was in some sort of tub. People in white coats were looking at me. This couldn't be Heaven.

"Didn't Peppermint win?" I asked. One of the whitecoats nodded.

"Don't worry about that. You get another chance," he said.

"You saved me before I died?" I asked.

"It's complicated. Really, it's not important. You're alive now," he said.

"Can I see Peppermint?" I asked. This was all so unfamiliar. I wanted to see someone I knew. The doctor hesitated.

"You've had a lot of excitement. Peppermint's different than you remember her," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. The man's gaze intensified and his voice was gentle.

"It's been nine years."

Dane Verity POV

Any Career knows it's not over until you take your last breath. I thought that time had come, but I was wrong. I didn't understand everything about the technology, but what it meant was that I could fight again.

"Who else is back? From my Games, I mean," I said to a doctor tapping at a computer pad.

"Let's see... there's Apollo Wilson, Hailey Falkenrath, and Celestial Yeager," he said.

Celestial? My heart leaped and sank all at once. I barely knew Celestial, but something about her made me want to know her forever. She saw me off when I first died and I remembered I was happy that my death brought her closer to life. If she was there, I didn't know if I could fight to win. She doomed me with her haunting allure. Maybe I was brought back just to die in her arms again. I found myself not mournful, but thankful.

Vera Busattil POV

When I realized I was alive again, I began to cry. I'd faced death before and mourned my wasted future and my fatal decisions. I thought the fear was over when I reached the end. Now I had to do it again. Did they have to remind me of what I did? Why couldn't I rest in peace?

"Don't be sad," one of the doctors said. He was supposed to be my "therapist", but telling someone not to be sad is about as effective as it sounds. "Whyte's back too."

I did feel better when she said that, but not for the reasons she thought. It would be easier to face death again with my best friend. We didn't win last time, and I didn't think we could this time either. It was worth dying again if I got to be with him a few more days, though. A few minutes ago I didn't think I could bear another moment of life. Now, as painful as it was, we could get through it like we always did- together.

Whyte Roberts POV

I got killed by a chair. After all the bombshells about me dying, Vera dying too, Sky winning, and the resurrection thing, that was the one that really got me. It would have been hilarious if it had been someone else. Preferably Rapture. We all hated him.

"I got killed by a... chair?" I asked, just to confirm.

"It punctured your left ventricle," one of the doctors helpfully commented. I hid my head in my hands.

"Wait, is Vera back?" I asked.

"Of course. The Capitol wanted to see the "friends" reunited once more," she said with a wink. I stood up.

"Where is she? Can I see her?" I asked.

"That wouldn't... oh, she's next door," she said. I found myself dawdling down the hall in no hurry. I wanted to see Vera, of course. I just didn't want to hear what she had to say about the chair.

Shogo Hara POV

"Where's Kanu?" I asked as soon as my head was above the water, interrupting the man standing beside me.

"Chosen for the All-Stars-" he was saying. He stopped abruptly. "Don't you want to hear the rest?"

"That's not important. Is Kanu all right?" I asked. I started to haul myself out and headed for the door.

"At least take a gown!" the doctor sputtered. "And your son is fine. He's waiting outside."

"Does he know about me?" I asked.

"It's been three years but-"

"Three years?" My heart broke as I imagined how different he'd be and all the things I'd missed. "He doesn't know?"

"We've all tried very hard to keep it up," the doctor said. I paused before the door the straighten my gown and brush my fingers through my hair.

"All right. Play along," I said. I braced myself and knew that whatever had happened, I would always love my son. I opened the door and stepped outside. There, sitting on a bench, was the light of my life. In that moment, I didn't see anything different. I just saw my son.

"Dad!" Kanu shouted. He jumped off the bench and ran to me. I scooped him up like a baby and pressed him against me. The tears I'd worked so hard to hide came flooding out.

"I'm back."

As usual, a few notes:

1. The POVs got shorter because I remembered these characters are established and I don't need to recreate them.

2. Xzavier should be with the Threes but I forgot him. Likewise Gordon is from Five. My bad.

3. A few of the alliances have overlapping members. I'll list all the hypothetical alliances. Creators, if you see your Tribute in more than one, please let me know where you want them to be or if you want them to be alone. If you don't care I'll just stick them in the first requested alliance.

Alliance one: Miall, Priscilla, Hunter, Kazuo, Farlon, Felix, Jean, Timber, Reiner Thompson, Whyte, Vera, Frankie, Shogo, Celestial, Yasmine, Mouse, Bree, Dane, Sarla and Lyte (Lyte is confirmed)

Alliance two: Cordin and Adair ally with Hailey, Wyatt, Starling, Willow, Avariella, Celestial, Mouse, Dominique, Elara and Myrtle

Alliance three: Haber, Bree, Valerie, Chantal, Alayza, Hadley, Emmalie, Miller, and Heidi

Alliance four: Mary Sue, Ryker, Kestrel, Diamond, Rapture, Gordon, Dane, Thompson (I get the feeling Mary Sue wants to be in whatever alliance has the most Careers)

The Jayhawks: Jay, Frankie, Apollo, Zach, Asper, Xzavier and Calvary, still recruiting (current members are all confirmed, I think)