The Uprising

Secret Weapon

Hi guys!

So first of all a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed! To have 38 reviews already just for three chapters is huge and I am sooooo happy! So a huge thank you to everyone and I really appreciate it so much! Thank you!

Answers to reviews –

- I love the idea of them dressing up as Capital people, especially Maren who would get very angry. So I'm going to definitely try and fit that in at some point. Thank you so much for the suggestion!

- I can't say much about the Prim scene but it will be important. I promise though, I don't think it's going to be someone that you'd automatically guess.

- Joseph/Marina reunion is drawing closer and closer, I promise you!

- I definitely like John/Joseph friendship, because there really wasn't enough development of all the friendships in the actual series.

So thank you all so much and I really appreciate/love it!

Maren

Absentmindedly I brush my still-wet hair away from my face, some damp strands sticking to my cheeks. Scowling at my reflection, I pull my hair back into a ponytail, taking in my face. I still the same as I did when I was first called for the Games; nothing's really changed. Most people wouldn't know better, but I can sense a difference. I look angrier than I used to, more distrustful. I can't tell whether I like what I see.

I turn away, watching as Lyn stretches out onto my bed. She's relaxed, almost happy, unlike me. I'm wound up about tomorrow, worried about the fight. Don't get me wrong, I love to kill mogs like anyone else, but I'm worried about what could happen before we get there. What could happen if we fail. There's so much hanging on tomorrow and I can't afford to make one mistake. And what makes it even worse is that I can't even show my fears. Adam and Sam are wound up enough as it is, and Joseph can't stop thinking about Marina. So I have to bury everything and try to be the strong one. Normally it's easy, but not today.

I turn to bed when there's a knock on my door. I sigh in annoyance, wishing for a break for once. But it could be important. It's probably Kat with more instructions and information about tomorrow, despite the long meeting we had today, sorting out everything. We covered every small detail, both reassuring me and yet terrifying me about how big a deal this is. With a sigh, I open the door.

"What do you want?" I snap instinctively. But when I see John standing by the door, I smile sheepishly, feeling bad at snapping at him. He blinks in shock, a flask in his hands, and then he grins in amusement.

"Nice to see you too. Drink?" he lifts the flask. I narrow my eyes but let him in before the evening guards notice him. We're not supposed to meet up anyone else after 8pm and even I can't be bothered to argue with anyone tonight.

"Is that alcoholic?" I ask suspiciously, drawing up a chair. "Because I might be chilled about tomorrow but even I don't want to have a hangover," I lie, trying to appear strong. John laughs, shaking his head.

"No, it's not alcoholic. It's just hot chocolate," he passes me the flask and I take a sniff. A thick creamy smell wafts from the lid and I decide to believe him.

"Isn't hot chocolate forbidden or something?" I roll my eyes. "Too indulgent or something?" he shrugs, dragging up another chair so we're sat opposite one another.

"Yeah but I thought we deserved it. We've trained hard enough and I need cheering up before tomorrow," he shrugs. I take a swig from the flask, my eyes widening. The liquid is so hot it seems to burn as it goes down my throat but then a wonderful warmth spreads through me. I take another sip, enjoying the sweetness way too much.