Twenty Four Shades of Blood [A Hunger Games Fanfic]

The Countdown: Day Two of Training

Nova and Benji stumble into the training room, yawning, and immediately go their separate ways. Benji sits as close to the corner as possible; the corner itself is already occupied by the girl from Ten, peering around the room with her hands clasped tightly in her lap. As soon as he meets her eyes, she looks away and shoots the brash and bold Career group a half-hearted glare.

Nova drifts, wandering between the clusters of people on the floor, still dazed from yesterday. Her mind tells her nothing about it apart from bright white lights, some shouting as she crouched over the nicest food she ever tasted and the horribly disorientating feeling of holding a knife and aiming it at a human head. The woman is stood there, ready to start her speech but unable to because not everybody is here yet, and she scowls at Nova as if it's her who is single handedly holding up the progress of the games. Nova obediently sits down, folding her legs up and resting her chin on them and trying not to look like the mess she feels on the inside.

She has sat close to the pair from Five, one of the only groups of people apart from the Careers who are actually talking to each other. The other is the book girl from Twelve and the little kid from Three who was messing about before the chariot ride, though Nova remembers that she quickly quietened down once she saw her chariot sparking into life. And she's not so little; Nova is only fifteen. Abigail only seems that way because Nova is so tall and she is so small. Her district partner is nowhere to be seen.

Different blades shine threateningly in the chill light. Nova shudders, and to distract herself listens to the conversation going on next to her.

"...no, I'm from quite far out. Little cluster of houses near the hydro-elec plant." That's the girl's voice. Her name begins with a C, or maybe a D. Nova isn't sure.

"Sounds quiet." The boy - Tyrion - speaks in barely above a whisper, but he sounds matter-of-fact.

"Only once you've got used to the humming," the girl mutters darkly, "What are you thinking of doing today?"

Nova almost sees Tyrion start; there's a brisk shuffling noise. Somebody behind her sneezes.

"Are we allies?" Tyrion splutters.

There's a slight pause. Nova can't see Carmen frowning over the question, but it's obvious she's thinking about it. "We can at least be friends for now," she answers eventually.

"Is that a good idea?"

"Probably not."

The doors slide open to admit the pair from Eleven. Eden's eyes are rubbed red. Cruz glares around the room, looking for all the world as though he'd quite happily kill everybody in it.

"Hurry up, please," the woman snorts, "We'd like to make a start!"

Eden nods to herself a few times, her plait that wasn't her choice bobbing around her neck, tapping it. Tears sting the back of her eyes. Nothing is going right. First she ended up here, and now she can see the Careers glaring at her. Her tongue itches to make some kind of quip back, to make people laugh, but this is the Capitol and she's seen what happens when you annoy them. And she's one of the youngest here.

Cruz scowls and hurls himself onto the floor with enough force that it's obvious he's not happy. The Careers turn to glare at him, not pleased with this show. Ruby grins, an unfamiliar smile twisting her lips. "Temper, temper," she cooes.

Cruz grits his teeth. Don't start a fight or you'll lose sponsors. And he's going to need sponsors, somewhere along the line, probably.

But the image of slamming his fist into the face of the girl from One is so tempting...

"Who are we missing?" the woman calls.

There's a brief flurry while one of the Peacekeepers counts on their fingers.