Cato's POV for the hunger games

Chapter four: the training center

All rights go to Suzanne Collins, the author of the Amazing Hunger games trilogy!

Chapter four: the training center

I wake up earlier than usual today, mostly because today is our first day of training. Today I will show off all of my skills to all of the other tributes. Make them fear me, make sure they know that I am better and stronger than each of them. I will also have to look out for potential allies, or potential threats.

I head down to the dining room and see that no one is up yet, so I decide to start breakfast without them. Half way through my meal I see a still half asleep Brutus walking towards the dining room. "Mornin' Cato" he says to me. "Morning" I reply. "Why are you up so early?" he asks me. I shrug. "Too excited about training I suppose?" he guesses. I nod. We don't talk again until Clove and Enobaria sit at the table. "So...what's the plan for today?" asks Clove. Brutus, who now seems to be awake answers her question. "Today, in training, both of you will show off your skills to the Gamemakers and intimidate the other tributes. Also, try to look for tributes that would make good allies, and also determine who your potential threats might be." Him and Enobaria go on and on about different strategies in the arena and stuff, just until nine thirty, when we have to go to training. Me and Clove get up to leave, but before we can get out the door, Enobaria gives us one last piece of advice. "One last thing, just keep an eye on the pair from twelve ok?" We nod and leave the dining room and head towards the training center.

We reach the elevator and Clove pipes up. "District twelve is going to be my first two kills you know!" I grin and then add arrogantly "I bet you couldn't even take down take down the girl!" Her face fills with anger. And then she punches me in the gut. I admit, it did hurt a little. But I didn't show it. Instead I raise my eyebrow to her as if to say What that's it?!? And this gets her even more mad. "You had better watch your back in the arena too Cato!" she yells at me, and with that we arrive at the training center and she stomps off to the middle of the room. I could have just lost myself a valuable ally but it was totally worth it.

All the tributes are calls to the middle of the room for quick instructions from the head trainer, Atala. "The only rule we have in this training center is that you cannot engage in any type of violent physical contact with another tribute. You can save that for the arena. Other than that, practice and perfect the skills you will have learned, because tomorrow you will have to show them to the Gamemakers in order for you to get your scores." Then Atala leaves us to ourselves.

I walk over to the spear station to start and show off, when Marvel from district one walks up to me to introduce himself. "Hey, I'm Marvel, The names Cato, right?" "ya" I respond. "Ya.....so umm.....we are from one and two right? We are from the districts that make up the career pack." I understand what he is getting at and I nod. "ya sure..We'll be allies with you." I say chuckling a little bit. Marvel sighs with relief and tells me to come over to meet Glimmer.

I see that Clove is already there talking to Glimmer . She seems to notice us coming over and glares. I guess she is still pretty mad at me, but I don't care, she is now one of my allies right? Glimmer seems to notice us too and skips over to us. She then grabs my arm and pulls me over to where Marvel and Clove are. At first we talk strategies and how we are going to choose any other allies we might have. I realize that Glimmer is still holding on to my arm and she keeps giggling and twirling her hair whenever I look at her. At once I notice exactly what she is doing, she is flirting with me. Clove seems to notice too, because when we are called to lunch Clove yanks Glimmer's arm away from mine, and she guides me over to the dining hall.

We sit far away from the other tributes, to make sure they know we are better than them and also so they don't hear us talking about our plans.

"So who do you think might be a good ally?" asks Glimmer. "Well Thresh would be the best, I think." replies Clove. We all nod in agreement. He is the biggest and probably the strongest of all of the tributes this year so he would be perfect for us. "I don't think we should include district four in the career pack, unlike other years, they are small and weak and I have no tolerance of weaklings" states Marvel who is now eying the pair from four. I nod and we make are way over to where Thresh sits and eats his lunch. He sits all alone and talks to no one. Once we get to him I take charge. "We'd like to have you in the career pack with us." I say. He looks up at us but says nothing, so I continue. "You are very strong an-" "No." Thresh says almost bored. Wait what does he mean by saying no? Is he rejecting our invitation? I am about to yell at him for disrespecting the careers, the most feared tributes in the Hunger games but Marvel beats me to it. "No! No? what do you mean by saying no! You cant reject us! we are the careers!" Then we are about to walk away, but I feel the need to show the rest of the careers who's in charge. I turn back to Thresh and say "You better watch your back in the arena, because you will be the first person I come after!"

Then we walk away, and I look around at the other tributes who seem to have been watching what just happened. Most of them look shocked or even scared. But then I see Katniss. She appears to be smiling in Thresh's direction....she looks like she is actually proud of him for not joining us, and at that moment I vow to myself that I will kill both of them in the arena myself and I will make it very painful.

After lunch, we all head back to the training center to continue training. But instead, I decide to spy a little on the others. I walk around and see the most of the other tributes are just making a fool of them selves. Some of them don't even know how to start a fire!

Then I see some tributes who stand out. The girl from five, with the red hair and looks fox-like is excellent at all of the survival stations, can decipher which plants are good to eat and which ones will kill you with her eyes closed and is very light on her feet. She is pretty good but she is not at all good with any weapons, so she wont be a good addition to the career pack. Also, since she cant even defend herself she will probably one of the first kills.

Another tribute that stands out is the little girl from eleven...what's her name.....Rue? She is also great with plants and survival skills, she is a pretty good climber and has excellent aim with a slingshot. But she is tiny and weak and has no way to fight against anybody my height and weight, so she is out.

Then I see Thresh stabbing a dummy with a knife...which he is pretty good. He is also very strong, but he already rejected us....so he is not an option.

Then, once again my brain tells me to go find district twelve. I find them sitting over at the <Camouflage> station painting their arms. Katniss isn't any good at it but the boy is fantastic! He painted his arm into a tree with no difficulty at all! But camouflage isn't going to make him win the games. Eventually, they go over to the climbing station. Katniss climbs swiftly up the tree with ease. But when the boy tries he falls to the ground as soon as he climbs about one foot off the ground.

I find myself snickering. And I guess Katniss notices because next thing I know, she is whispering something in his ear. He nods, then walks over to the station with all the weights. A grin spread across my face. This aught to be good! He picks up a hundred fifty pound weight. I notice Clove, Glimmer and Marvel walking up behind me too, they also want to see this. The boy then throws it straight over his head with ease, and it crashes straight through a rack of spears.

I am awed. I never thought a boy from district twelve, who doesn't even look that strong by the way, could throw that much weight straight over his head! I guess the others are too because Glimmer's jaw is touching the floor, Clove just keeps blinking and Marvel is just keeps nodding. Even I find myself nodding with approval and whispering the words "not bad" very silently.

I cant help but think this boy....whatever his name is, might just be a threat along side Katniss and Thresh.

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