| THE LOVE HE HATES | HUNGER GAMES | COMPLETED

2 | THE TRAIN

     "HERE. HERE." ABIGAIL quickly placed something cold into Athena's hand, the girl barely had a chance to look at it.

The doors opened and Peacekeepers walked in to escort Athena to the train where she would meet her mentor for the games. Athena kissed her mothers cheek before the Peacekeepers grabbed her arms and forced her onto the train outside. It looked like it was made from pure silver and it shone in the sun.

Athena stepped inside, and almost froze in anger at the sight of the interior. It was fit for a King and something people in her district could only dream of. Jason stepped in behind her, also shocked at what he was seeing. They were ushered further in and their eyes dropped on the food that sat there waiting for them, Athena noticed how Jason licked his lips hungrily. It was quite normal that many people in all the districts were on the brink of starvation.

The woman who had drawn their names motioned for the two to sit down before joining them. Athena ran her hands over the velvet material on the couch, it was so soft to her and she felt like she could fall asleep in that comfort.

"Two hundred miles per hour and you can barely feel a thing." The woman chuckled like it was nothing. "I think it's one of the most wonderful things about this opportunity. Even though you're only here for a little while, you get to enjoy all of this."

A woman then walked through the door, she looked a tad dishevelled, but Athena had seen her before. She had won the 57th Hunger Games, over eleven years before. It was known that she often didn't leave Victors' Village and had turned to drinking as well as other substances. Her dark, tightly curled hair bounced in her face as she slumped on the couch beside the Capitol woman, who had yet to introduce herself properly to Athena and Jason.

The Victor, Bellona, eyed the pair. "Really pulled some good ones here, Valencia. A scrawny, twelve year old and an even scrawnier eighteen year old."

Athena rolled her eyes a little, she remembered seeing a bit of her games, she was around the same size as her at that time, however she had put on some muscle despite her turn to alcohol and substances.

The Capitol woman, Valencia, also rolled her eyes. "I think they will make a great effort, like you. Especially since you know who is helping this year."

Bellona muttered something under her breath as she stood and headed straight to the bar cart.

"Uh, who?" Jason asked softly.

Valencia smiled, like she was about to gift them a reward. "This year, you have a very special guest helping to mentor you. Aeschylus Snow, President Snow's grandson!"

"Aeschylus?" Athena scoffed. "His grandson is named after the God of Survival? Why is he helping us?"

"Because." Valencia huffed out. "It is a tradition for one person in each generation of President Snow's family to mentor a tribute, and this year it is you they have picked."

"He doesn't know shit." Bellona spoke as she walked back into the area, a fresh drink in her hand. "He will teach them nothing, they will lose and they will die. So, you should listen to me and not him."

Athena thought back on Bellona's games, she had won them by simply blowing up most of the tributes. She was surprisingly good with explosives despite coming from a livestock district. But she wasn't good with them so she wasn't sure how Bellona was going to help her.

"He knows how to make people like him. Everyone in the capitol adores him, looks just like his grandfather did when he was that age." Valencia gushed. "And that is how you win, you get people to like you."

"Oh, you think we can get the Capitol to like Miss Sarcasm over here?" Bellona pointed at Athena, who crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "That attitude will get her to be the first death in the arena."

"I can be nice." Athena mumbled.

Bellona turned to Jason, who had been sat quietly just listening. "Now he might be the one the Capitol falls in love with, he's young, quiet, soft spoken. They'll feel bad for him."

Athena looked at the boy beside her, who sank slightly into his seat. "But won't that make him a target in the arena?"

"No." Bellona shook her head. "Everyone will be unsuspecting, you see, everyone thinks to go for the main people, those who score high before going after everyone else. So aim to score low, even if you are great at something."

"Speaking of." Valencia spoke. "Do either of you have any talents?"

Jason sat up slightly. "I'm strong, I guess. I help out my dad with the injured animals, you know, one's who gotta get slaughtered because they can't heal. I gotta carry them, at least the one's I'm able to."

Athena nodded. "I've seen him do it a few times, I can barely pick up a baby cow but Jason, he can carry two."

The boy smiled a little, happy with the praise he was receiving. "But I've seen Athena, she skilled with a knife."

"I prefer swords."

Valencia gasped softly. "How on earth did you get a weapon like that." 

"I never have." The girl admitted. "I used to swing a stick around, learnt tricks and then, used to help the local butchers slaughter the animals for meat. The skills came in handy, but they're too small."

Bellona gave her a look. "So you prefer a sword but you've never even held one?"

"Uh, yeah." Athena nodded slowly, realising she shouldn't have mentioned that.

The woman held the bridge of her nose for a second in disappointment. "I cannot even deal with this right now, when we get to the Capitol, I need to make sure you can handle a sword, if not, you're sticking with knives."

With that, the Victor walked to her room, swaying slightly as she did so. Athena looked at Valencia, who was pale after all the talk about the slaughtering of animals.