The Capitol Games

4: Elevators, Enobaria, and Axe Fighting

"Day two! Four minutes!" Katniss exclaims. I jump out of bed before she can exit the room. She darts out, I change, and run out in one minute, thirty seconds.
I slide into my seat at the table and begin shoveling whatever's in my face in my mouth. Effie looks at me, horrified, her giant gold hair making me blink as it reflects the bright lights above.
"Young lady," she says false-calmly.
"Yes?" I ask, gulping down a huge glass of orange juice.
"Effie, she's just like I was, okay?" Katniss reminds.
"Yes, but-" Effie starts.
"Effie, how about this. After she does training, you can fix her up a little, okay?" Katniss suggests.
"But Katniss!" I whine.
"Great idea, Katniss. Aria, don't worry!" Effie exclaims. I stand up from the table and walk over to the elevator.
"Aria, where are you going?" Katniss asks. I punch the ground level.
"Training," I growl. The doors swing open.
"I doesn't start for another two hours!"
"I'll find something to do. Or maybe I can't, cause I need so much fixing."
"What?" Katniss demands. I say nothing as the elevator doors close, and I become alone in the elevator for about six seconds. It opens on the eleventh floor, and when it opens, I almost faint.
"Treva," I gasp, hugging him. Peeta looks from the table, confused.
"Aria, what's wrong?" Treva asks. I pull away from him.
"We can talk on the way down," I smile. Peeta waves goodbye ask the doors shutter closed.
"Okay. Now what's wrong?" He demands kindly.
"Katniss is just going to let Effie make all these changes to me. I mean, I'd think I'm perfect just the way I am, but if Effie does something that's gonna change me after the Games are done, it's going to effect me forever. It's not like the past tributes where she could change them and it more than likely wouldn't matter, because they had a twenty-three to one chance of living. But I'm different. I'm going to live."
"Aria, I know you're upset, but if Effie wants to do this, let her. It could get you more sponsors, and if you go along with it, it's gonna be over quicker," Treva offers. I let that sink into my mind. Over quicker.
I think about what could happen to me, but instead of thinking of living, I think of the injuries I could get. What if I get permanently damaged? What if I fall from a high place and die? What if I get cut somewhere and bleed out?
"Treva?" I manage.
"Yeah?" He smiles.
"I'm scared. I know I shouldn't be, but I am."
"It's gonna be okay. You know why?" He asks.
"Why?"
"Cause I'm going to be with you the whole way," he says, taking my hand. I watch the ground become more visible, and the dark Training Center begins to light up.
"There's people down there already?" I ask.
"Yeah, I guess so. The lights are on," Treva shrugs. The doors swing open and I let go of his hand. The sight when I open the door scares me.
"Okay Dia. It's easy," Enobaria snarls to Dia. My friend picks up the sword by her and charges across the Center and impales the dummy on the head target. I gasp.
"Aria. Treva! It's so great you made it!" Dia exclaims. "Enobaria, these are my best friends, and half of my four-person team."
"Glad to meet you," Enobaria smiles, her fangs making me cringe just the slightest.
"Hello, Enobaria. I'm Treva," Treva says, extending his hand. Enobaria shakes it, and Treva looks like he's trying to hide pain.
"A pleasure. And you?" Enobaria asks me. I gulps.
"A-Aria," I stutter.
"So you must be Katniss's trainee," Enobaria growls. I shake my head yes. "And who is yours, Treva?"
"Peeta," Treva nods.
"Well, since we're all here basically, we should show my trainer what we can do," Dia suggests.
"Uh, all right," I shrug. I walk over to the axe fighting nook, hoping I have some skill in this. Dia and Treva follow as I pick up an axe and walk into the simulator. I choose beginner as my level and it begins to glow. A holographic person approaches me with a mace in their hands, and I take a huge swing at their leg.
The person falls down and turns to thin air. I whirl around to see a girl with a spear take a lunge at me. I deflect the point of the arrowhead and take a lunge at their arm, and the person whisps to air. A boy runs at me on my left with a bow, and another on my right. I spin around with my axe held tightly by both hands infront of me and watch them turn to air.
A girl holding a short knife smiles at me from the cris-crossing planks in the ceiling, and I chuck my axe up. The simulation darkens again and the board with my axe lowers down to me. I pull it from the wood and the piece of ceiling raises back up. I step out, and Treva smiles at me. Dia looks frightened and challenging, and Enobaria looks surprised.
She wipes the look of her face as soon as I hand the axe to Treva. I walk where he stood, and Enobaria starts to talk.
"You're pretty well trained, Aria," she mutters. "Just like Johanna."
"Mason?" I ask. I hear footsteps behind us as I watch Treva hack away at the simulations.
"What about me?" A voice asks. I spin around to see Johanna, smiling as she watches Treva. He looks out to us, quickly dodges a strike by a sword-holding hologram, and finishes his round. He steps out of the door and walks over to me.
"Johanna Mason!" He exclaims.
"The one and only," she mutters. "You're pretty good, kid. What's your name?"
"Treva. This is my best friend, Aria," he says.
"Aria. Katniss's kid for this, right?" She asks.
"Yeah," I smile, embarrassed.
"Show me whatcha got," Johanna instructs.
"Uh, okay," I shrug. Treva hands me the axe back, and I repeat my steps to loading it, and it goes darker. A boy with a huge spear charges at me, and I swing at him. Thin air. A girl with a bow: whoosh.
Three girls with short knives and swords run up, and I swing low with both hands, and they're gone. After four more holograms, a girl charges at me with a long spear. I deflect it, and she charges at me. I somersault under her and swing at her leg. I see two holograms, one boy and girl, walk over and put a hand on my shoulder.
The lights go up and I walk out. I hand the axe off to Dia and walk over to Johanna and Treva.
"You're really great, kid," Johanna smiles.
"Thanks. I've only had a little practice," I admit.
"When?" She asks.
"Just now."
"Beginner's luck," mutters Enobaria. "I mean, you're perfect at this. Show your strengths while training so you don't surprise them. It makes your chances of getting them as a sponsor."
"You ever need me, I'm on floor seven," Johanna winks and walks away.
"Personal training is over. Let's get you ready for the day," growls Enobaria, leading Dia toward the elevators. One they're in and going up, Johanna bounds out of a hiding place behind the dummy Dia murdered.
"I wish Enobaria remembered this was injuring, and she probably would if her brain wasn't full of torture devices," Johanna mutters. "Listen, almost everything she told you is fake. Don't show your strengths, only show them when you're called in for viewing."
"Thanks, Johanna," I smile.
"No problem. I've got faith in you. Both of you," Johanna admits.
"I've got to go. I have a trainer I need to talk to."