A Game Of False Fates ✭ Cato Hadley

Twenty-Three - Dynamite

July 16th

Around noon the next day, the mentors are all back in the viewing room as they watch the three tributes scavenging for the others in the treeline. They're crouched under a large tree in the long grass, staring blankly at the cornucopia.

"Is this their plan? Seriously?" Enobaria huffs sarcastically. "This is all they could come up with?"

Their laughter is cut off by the sound of rustling coming through the speakers. There's a tribute in the nearby trees. Please let it be fucking Everdeen, Clio thinks, begging whatever higher power exists for the food scavenger to be the District Twelve girl and her little ally. They all stop their small movements and look around for the sign of the noise, and that's when they see it. Some smallish tribute is creeping towards the cornucopia. Definitely not Everdeen.

Clove readies herself to rise, her hand on her knife vest, but it's Marvel who jumps up to grab the tribute. He pounces and quickly grabs the back of the child's jacket, pulling him back into the meadow as Clove and Ajax follow closely behind him. Marvel turns the tribute around and the cameras uncover his face to the nation at the same time that the three allies see him for the first time.

It's the boy from District Three, because a graphic of the boy's statistics pops up on the side of the broadcast. The kid is scrawny and small, only an inch or two taller than Clove, with dark brown hair that looks like it's been cut with a bowl and little to no muscle; though he must be smart, especially if he's managed to uncover the mines. The remaining tributes in the career alliance aren't aware of this, of course, something Ajax makes obvious when he asks. "Who are you?"

"M-m-mike." The boy stammers. "I can help. I swear I can help you."

"Shut up!" Ajax snaps. "Who are you working with?"

"No one, I'm not working with anyone. Just me." Mike is stumbling over his words.

Ajax tries again. "Don't lie to me. Who are you working with?"

"I'm n-not. I promise."

Ajax places his hand on the hilt of his sword, readying himself to kill the boy instantly when Clove stops him. "Ajax, wait!"

"What the fuck is she doing?" Gloss tuts from the end of the sofa, sipping an alcoholic drink as he waits for the trio to kill the boy from Three.

"Using her brain." Cashmere responds to her brother, making Clio smile and let out a small laugh, watching as the siblings begin to squabble quietly before returning her attention to the large screen.

"What's your plan with the mines?" Clove asks, intrigued about how exactly the boy had managed to dig them up and how exactly he planned to use them against them.

"What?" Ajax asks his district partner, confused at where she is going with her words.

"He's smart. If he's not working with anyone then it means that his ally must be dead." Clove shrugs. "Besides, look how scared he is of us, there's no way he's going to try pulling anything."

"He could help us protect the supplies from whoever's stealing from us." Marvel adds, still gripping the back of the boy's jacket and watching him carefully to prevent him from running.

"He is the one stealing our food." Ajax counters, pointing his sword at the boy.

"No he ain't! Look at him, man." Marvel sighs, referring to the tribute's scrawny nature. As if on cue, Mike's stomach growls with hunger, making each of the mentor's laugh when the sound plays over the speakers.

"If he's not the one stealing from us, then there's no way that he can take down whoever is."

"We need someone to keep watch while we hunt for the others." Clove says, acting as authority on the decision. "He's not strong so we can easily kill him if he fucks us over like Twelve did."