Over and Over: The 32nd Hunger Games SYOT

Chapter 18

I tend to leave the Careers out of training chapters since they wouldn't gain much from three more days training. They shall have their own chapter exploring Careerish themes.

Emmeline Blythe POV

There was so much to learn in the Training Room it seemed hopeless. I knew I would do well at the circuitry and incendiary stations, but would that be enough? It would be a waste of time to try the weapons stations. I wasn't strong enough to throw a spear through someone or brave enough to cut them with a sword.

I took a look at what the rest of the Tributes were doing. The pair from Four were wrestling each other. The boy from Two was swinging two long knives, and his partner was looking through the sword station. Wyatt was in a circle with his allies. They were listening to another boy and seemed to be discussing who should train where. The scary girl was charging at mannequins and yelling out battle cries. They all looked so prepared and competent. I might as well have already been dead.

I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I went to the circuitry station. I sifted through a pile of wires and found some copper. I started halfheartedly completing a simple lightbulb circuit as I tried to think of something better to do. When I looked up a few minutes later, I noticed the boy from One looking at me from across the room. I looked back down so he didn't notice I knew. Why would he be looking at me? I wasn't a threat.

He doesn't know that, I realized suddenly. A Career would know to judge a Tribute from Three by their brains, not their looks. He wanted to see if I was dangerous and thus a Bloodbath priority. My stomach flopped at the thought of him barreling toward me when the gong rang. As contrary as it seemed, I had to look weak. I bent over my work like I was hyper-focused, then touched the copper ire to a naked battery. Sparks flashed and I jolted back as a shock ran through me. The boy smiled and looked around the room until he saw Wyatt and started studying him. For the moment, I was safe.

Myrtle Bloom POV

I didn't want to deal with the other Tributes, so I headed for the empty stations. The first one I noticed was the painting station. Drawing was one of the few things I liked back in Seven. The forest and scenery was always inspiring. At the station they had models to paint camouflage on, and that wasn't as fun, so I didn't stay long.

I'm going to need some sort of weapon, I thought. I don't mind killing someone since I have to, but actually doing it is going to be difficult. Something long range and clean would be easiest. That was either a spear or a bow, and I picked the bow since it was even more remote than the spear. The man at the bow station suggested a light bow that curved out at both ends. I took a shot and missed the target.

"Are you sure this is a good bow?" I asked. I scowled in frustration and peevishness. The attendant wasn't having any of it.

"I'm not the reason you're here, girl. I'm just trying to help you not die. You're welcome to train elsewhere," he said. I wanted to snap something back at him, but honestly, he was right. I needed all the help I could get.

"Sorry," I muttered, trying to act like it wasn't really my fault and I was just being polite. "How do I make it hit the target?" The attendant took my pathetic apology and demonstrated the proper form and technique. After a few more tries, I hit the outer ring of the target. I was still furious with the Capitol for doing this to me and wasn't about to thank them for providing an assistant to help me put on another show, but I could admit that this one guy wasn't all that bad.

Hermes Track POV

I probably wouldn't be good at any of the weapons, but I wanted to protect the younger Tributes as much as I could from the Careers. Of course that meant my allies like Serena and Pepper, but it also included Yasmine and anyone else that couldn't take care of themselves. I knew I was okay at fighting from a few skirmishes back home, and with a close range weapon I could add to my advantage.

I looked over the weapons table at the blades, clubs and assorted options at my disposal. If I had to kill, I wanted it to be quick and simple. My best bet seemed to be the heavy, solid mace. One blow with that would do the job, and I wouldn't have to cut my opponent apart and make him suffer. Also, it was easy to use and easy to learn.

Before I started training, I'd met with the rest of my alliance to discuss strategy. Since I was the oldest, they seemed to see me as a leader. I thought Wyatt was better suited, with his charisma and ability to inspire. I didn't know anything about being a leader, so I just said everyone should train at what they were best at. That meant Wyatt went to the electronics station and Adair and Pepper went to the edible plants. Serena didn't have much to offer, so we sent her to the first aid and survival stations. Put us all together and we were almost competent. I only hoped I wouldn't let them down.

Ryker Merlin POV

There sure were a lot of alliances. Besides the Careers, there were the girls, the tall boys and their allies, and some of the younger Tributes with the funny boy. I was interested in allying myself, but none of them had approached me yet. Maybe after they saw me in training. I would have to put on a good show.

We didn't have much opportunity to use weapons in Eight, but like most boys, I had a fondness for knives. Not in a scary way or anything, though. I just liked to have a pocketknife in case I needed to tighten a loose screw or something. I'd always thought if I ever did get Reaped I could get really good at throwing knives just like the Careers. Now was my chance.

How do they do it? The Careers must have known something I didn't, because I hit the target once over the next hour, and the one time I hit it was handle-first. I was ready to run up and stick the blade straight into the target just to finally do it right. I stuck the knife into the table and took a break to assess my competition. I was okay with knives, but I was great at causing drama. Maybe that was just what I needed.

Castiel Wickham POV

I tried to spend a few minutes at each station. Each one could teach me something, even the silly ones like knot-tying. The most useful were the trap and dagger stations. I'd always had an aptitude for that sort of thing, and I enjoyed brushing up on it. Along the way, the boy from Eight tried to start a conversation with me. He either wanted in our alliance or wanted to find out my strategy. I wasn't interested in either account, and I kept the talk short.

The day wore on and eventually the training center closed. I waited for most of the others to leave in order to avoid the crowd. I took the back stairs instead of the elevator to my room. I enjoyed the less brightly lit corridors and the solitude. I almost fell over when I saw a woman slumped over behind a potted plant set in a recess in the wall. I ran ahead and knelt by her.

"Are you all right?" I asked. It was the right thing to do, and I wanted to do right even if I didn't really want to, if that made any sense. I was supposed to help everyone and put them before myself. The woman was awake but barely responsive. She was holding a needle in one hand and her other arm was reddish and had a strap on it. I tore the strap off as she brushed at my hand and tried to sit up. I repeated my question, but she didn't say anything. She looked vaguely familiar, and it came together after a second. A few years back, there was an attempted uprising while the Games were in progress. It was quickly crushed, but the Victor was overshadowed by the commotion. Almost no one remembered her name or anything about her, but I recognized her face from the coverage of the rebellion.

"Do you need a doctor?" I asked as I helped the woman to her feet. She shook her head and leaned on me as I headed for the Victors' floor. I couldn't imagine how anyone so fragile could win the Games, and I wondered what happened to her to make her so sad. I found myself wanting to protect her, even though a Victor could almost certainly defend herself. Most of all, I wanted to know more about her. Why was she so forgotten? Why did people care so little that she was like this? Did they reject her like they rejected me? After I made sure she was all right, I knew I would want to see more of her.

1. Castiel is going to appear more than would be expected in the pre-Games chapter since his arc called for him to bond with someone and I picked a Victor. Obviously, his interaction with her will have to be before the Games, so after the Games start he'll go back to normal and I'll balance his overflow with other Tributes.

2. I always wonder how easy it is to guess which Tributes are being referred to in these chapters. Is it obvious who "the tall boys" are or "the young girl?" I think we all know who "the scary girl" is.