The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Thirty-Three | "Let the games begin..."

| AUTHORS NOTE |

This is the last chapter of Part One of Runaway Victor! Part two coming very soon!

Don't forget to check out the contest that's on my message board, vote, fan, and comment!!!

Stay classy!
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The days in Thirteen were spent the same, every single day. Nothing ever changed, the uniforms, the Command meetings were all the same; they all consisted of Coin and her team trying to brainstorm ways they could find someone to be the face and leader of the rebellion. Because Quinn wasn't right for that position. Coin was right, Quinn's temper would make her a impulsive, unpredictable leader that people wouldn't trust to lead. They would only trust her to fight, and motivate them. Not lead them. It took Orion awhile to accept that, he was convinced that they were wrong.

But that was only until the two of them began training two weeks after their arrival. Orion was being trained at a quicker pace than Quinn, he went through more drills every day-- Command thought that he would be a good face to have with the leader of the rebellion.

Orion Snow, the Victor of the Capitol, the Runaway Victor helping lead a rebellion against his own grandfather. The entire idea was a bit more dramatic than Quinn liked, but she knew Command was right. If they found the right leader to the rebellion, Orion would be the perfect back-up, or second in command. A few people, including Orion, thought that Quinn should have been the one in training to be a Sargent. But that changed quickly when she had a little outburst during one of the warm-up sessions.

It wasn't because she was sick and tired of the warm ups. It was because of what everyone called her, Ms. Maverick. She should have been able to get used to it, if anyone should have been frustrated by it, it was Orion. But during the warm up, a woman who had been in training much longer than Quinn and was still working her way up called Quinn Ms. Maverick and had the audacity to say how much of an honour it was to be training with the Rebel Victor. Quinn knew it was ridiculous that she had gotten so angry about it. But she didn't want to be above everyone else when it came to social status. If she had worked for it, then maybe. But simply because she killed a few kids before they killed her-- it was no reason to be better than someone she was training with. So, Quinn simply walked out of training after saying something along the lines of if one more person calls me that I'll spear their throat with a trident next time I get my hands on one.

Nobody had called her that since, at least not to her face. And Orion never disagreed with Command saying she was too unpredictable to lead anything. If she couldn't handle people calling her Ms. Maverick out of respect, she couldn't handle leading anything.

But as time passed, she got used to everything. She got used to the early morning Command meetings too. Eventually, she began spending time with the Samuals, including Dylan. The two of them didn't see eye to eye anymore like they had. Neither of them particularly like Coins way of dealing with things, so they got along because of that. But once Otto started setting aside a half hour before training to spend time with Quinn, Dylan began to spend less time with her and say even fewer words to her. Dylan and Orion got along great, they'd always end up at Dinner earlier than Quinn. They'd always be deep in a conversation, then once Quinn would seat herself next to Orion, Dylan would start to stop talking and eventually excuse herself.

Quinn didn't entirely mind that either. It was less people she had to care about if Snow ever got a hold of them.

* * * * *

It had been two months since they arrived in Thirteen. They had been two long months, but Quinn was positive that the months to come were going to be much, much worse.

The games were going to start again.

Twenty-Four more kids were going to go into a arena.

One more kid was going to come out as a new person; a scared adult.

Quinn and Orion had been called to Command to watch the Reapings.

Quinn never expected to feel so sick just watching the Reapings. Watching each boy and girl walk up onto the stage, forced to shake hands, both were getting a death sentence. Quinn couldn't bare to watch them. She couldn't stand it. But every tribute, Coin asked her do you have any thoughts about that one or do you think that's the one, as if Quinn would know instantly which one it would be if any.

With every tribute, everyone became more and more discouraged. Every single tribute was accompanied by the same answer, I don't know.

"How am I even supposed to know?" Quinn asked, just as the District Twelve reaping began.

Coin sighed, "We'll all feel it next year," she said assuringly.

Quinn sighed and crossed her arms, giving Orion as worried look as the Reapings starting. They both hoped Gale wouldn't get stuck in the games. Although, Gale had a good chance.

"Now, ladies first," the escort, Effy Trinket, smiled brightly. Her bright pink likes made her teeth look even more white. She strutted over to the bowl and drew a name. Quinn winced at the memory of the anxiety she had felt standing in the group of girls waiting. "The lucky young lady is...Prim-Rose Everdeen!"

Quinn felt her breath stop in her throat. The name sounded so familiar, and when a girl with light hair in braids emerged from the group of young girls, Quinn put the face with the name. It was the same girl who had come with her mother to help Orion. Quinn quickly looked at Orion, but he didn't seem like he knew who she was. Which was understandable, he had been so out of it.

"How about-" Coin began, but she was interrupted by a loud roar of activity from District Twelve. An older girl had pushed through her group,

"I volunteer as tribute!" she shouted, and with that the younger girl was pulled back into her rightful group, and the older one was brought to the stage. Quinn didn't really need to think of who that was.

Katniss Everdeen.

"It's her," Quinn said abruptly. "If she wins the games, it's her."

Coin raised an eyebrow sharply, "A girl from Twelve?"

Quinn nodded, "A volunteer from Twelve, someone who volunteered for her sister. Who else would connect with everyone in Panem better?"

Coin raised her eyebrow even higher if that was even possible. But after a moment of thought, she gave a thoughtful nod.

"Then I guess we'll see, Quinn." she sighed, "Let the games begin..."