The Demi Games

Your Normal Everyday Conversation on the Roof

(Nico)

Later, we stand on the windy roof, waiting for the others. Annabeth and Peeta still have yet to show up, but Percy, Leo, Will and I are here. 

Then the door into the building opens and Annabeth climbs the remaining few steps, coming over to stand with us. She smiles when she sees us and hugs Percy, then looks around and gestures for us to follow her. 

She takes us to a garden area. The wind is louder here, and windchimes jingle, making it hard to hear. Annabeth sits down.

"I told Peeta to come a bit later," she explains. "So that we have time to talk alone first. I'm glad you guys asked Peeta to talk to me. It was smart to trust him."

"It was Leo's idea," Will says. "He said that he's the more trusting out of your tributes."

"Yeah, he is." Annabeth nods. "I forgot you'd watched the movies, Leo, that'll come in handy. They're pretty similar to the books, as far as book-to-movie adaptations go."

"So, Miss. Knows Literally Everything That Will Happen," Percy says. "What will happen?"

Annabeth winces. "Good question. In the Mazes, we weren't replacing anyone, right? We were just there, along with the others. But here, things are different. There's a very set system - two per district. Which means that you four all replaced people. People that were in the Arena did things that changed what other people did depending on responses."

"Yeah, we figured that already." I say, thinking back to the reaping and even earlier today. My district partner, Glimmer, hates me. She keeps groaning about how it should have been Marvel, her boyfriend, who is eighteen and therefore too old to be a tribute anymore. "I think I know who I replaced."

"Yeah, me too," Leo says. "Though he doesn't have a name. He's just 'District three boy'. I know his actor better than his character."

Annabeth nods. "Yeah, I saw one of the other shows he's in. But Ian Nelson isn't the point. What's the point is you guys won't do the same things that they will. And that will change things. Luckily, Percy and Will, your original tributes died in the bloodbath, which means that there's nothing that they did that needs to happen. You just have to worry about trying not to do anything that'll drastically change the future."

"That's the good news?" Percy asks sarcastically. "What are the bad news?"

Glaring at him, Annabeth continues. "The bad news is that Nico and Leo replace extremely important characters. Even if, as Leo said, his isn't named."

Leo groaned. "Oh, god. I forgot what my character does."

"Wait, what does Marvel do?" I ask. I can tell by Annabeth's expression that it isn't good.

"Do you know the District 11 girl, Rue?"

"Yeah, I've seen her around." She's the youngest out of all of us. Twelve years old, over a foot shorter than me. She's small and frail, and she seems to spend more time climbing equipment and shadowing the other tributes than anything else. "Why?"

"Marvel kills her." Annabeth's expression darkens. "And it's super important. It spurs a large part of the next two books. The rebellion that follows."

I don't like what she's suggesting. "I'm not going to kill a twelve-year-old girl who did nothing wrong."

"I don't expect you to," Annabeth says quickly. "She doesn't need to die - Katniss and everyone watching just has to believe she does. I've got this figured out. The Gamemakers have complete control over what everyone sees - in the Arena or out. I don't know exactly how it works, but we do now a Gamemaker who does."