Under The Hanging Tree

Connections

"I need the both of you to listen up and listen good," Levi stared the both of his tributes down as they stepped into the elevator of the Tribute Center. It climbed up every floor to get to Mikasa and Armin's living quarters for the next two weeks. "For your own good, you're gonna want to forget everything you think you know about the games. This is a Quarter Quell, so the Capital is gonna make sure this is a very special game with a very special arena."

The elevator crawled to a stop at the twelfth floor, the penthouse, and opened to let its passengers out. "This time you're going up against other victors, which means you're going to have to fight a hell of a lot harder if you expect yourself to win." Both Mikasa and Armin listened intensely to their mentor, taking in every single word to heart. Levi led them to the living room, grabbing the remote for the massive hologram of a television the penthouse had. "Take a seat," he pointed at the couch, and of course they sat obediently. "The both of you are at a disadvantage because most of these tributes have been friends with each other for years, so it's going to be important to make connections." Levi turned the hologram on, and projected a list of all of this year's tributes. Included in this list was basic information and a highlight reel for every single one of them, including Mikasa and Armin. "I have a couple in mind that I think you'd better get cozy with." With a press of a button, a tribute's photo came up. She was a young woman who looked to be slightly older than them with freckles dotting her tawny skin. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and her honey brown eyes stared forward in a scowl.

"Ymir Fritz," Levi introduced her. "She won her games because of her strong survival skills in an ocean environment, typical for someone from District 4. We don't know what sort of arena you'll be thrown into, but you might want someone who's good with a spear regardless." He gave them a moment to take this information in before continuing. "I wouldn't depend on her when the games get closer to ending though. She's got a wife back home, another victor named Historia Reiss. Ymir actually volunteered in her place, and I'm sure she wants to get back to her alive." Levi sighed in exasperation. Even with Ymir being a good potential ally, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't immediately slaughter them both. "If the going gets tough, you take her out. There can only be one winner, remember that." Levi pressed another button, moving on to the next tribute. "And here's the freak show that came with her."

Onscreen was a picture of someone much older, closer to Levi's age. Thick glasses framed their angular face, their chestnut colored hair thrown back into a messy ponytail. A wide, toothy smile plastered their rosy face. "Hange Zöe, winner of the 53rd Hunger Games. They practically raised Ymir, so expect to have to become allies with them if you want to get to Ymir." From his tone, it was obvious that he knew Hange. "We mentored in most of the same games and from experience, prepare yourself for the smell. I don't think bathing is something they like to do very often."

Next was a photo of a woman Mikasa didn't recognize. Her skin was ghostly pale, a stark contrast against her long raven black hair that spilled freely past her shoulders. The dark bags under her eyes and chapped lips told Mikasa everything about her sleeping habits. "Pieck Finger, District 1." Armin's eyes widened with recognition. "Didn't she win by biting another tribute?"
"Ripping his throat out with her bare teeth, actually."
Mikasa felt uneasy hearing Levi's clarification. How could someone ever find the strength to do that? How could the instinct to bite even come about? Even in the most dire times Mikasa had experienced, the idea had not once crossed her mind. She didn't want to assume, but something told her that Pieck must've been in near deathly desperation for her to do that.
"I don't know if forming an alliance with careers is a good idea," Mikasa stated. "I agree," Armin nodded. "I think the three of us know more than anyone else that careers are bad news once the games actually start."
"Fine," Levi pulled up another tribute. "Maybe the teeth are intimidating, but you're gonna want at least one career on your side. Take Erwin Smith for example."

Erwin was a touch older than Levi. His harvest blond hair was neatly cut and gelled back, matching trimmed eyebrows in a neutral and relaxed position. His deep cobalt eyes were hardened and striking, yet had a knowing look to them. Everything about this tribute screamed confidence, something dangerous in excess. "This man is a cold blooded killer like any career, but he'll get you sponsors. I need at least one of you on his good side."
"Are there any tributes we should avoid?" Armin queried. "I was just about to get to that," Levi nodded. "Obviously, you should avoid most of them. They're gonna kill you if you don't kill them. Some tributes though...really will kill you."

The next tribute looked to be about their age. Her buttery blonde hair was brushed back in a neat bun, and her face was pulled into a menacing growl. "Annie Leonhardt, District 8. Any guesses on how she won?" Mikasa and Armin exchanged looks, hoping the other had an answer. "No?" Levi made a noise that sounded somewhere between a scoff and a smug chortle. "She hunted down and killed every single tribute one by one. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in ferocity. She doesn't make allies in the arena." The answer shocked them both. There was no way a single girl could possibly do that, right? "Actually, I think you should avoid District 8 in general."

Annie's district companion was a man who looked just as fierce, but in an entirely different way. His shaggy black curls were brushed neatly past his ears, almost reaching his shoulders. His expression was intimidating not because of any snarling look, in fact he had a content (almost smug) look on his face, but because of his eyes. They were a light brown, almost appearing golden like the eyes of a wolf, a stunning look against his dark umber skin. Something about the way his cunning eyes had such a look of arrogant confidence had the hair raised on the back of Armin's neck. Arrogance was almost as dangerous as a weapon.
"Guillermo Fernandez. The guy's great with people. Apparently so great that he was able to sweet talk his way to victory 3 years ago. He convinced the last of his competition to turn on each other and do the dirty work for him. A real charmer, don't let him get in your head." Mikasa took note of this, knowing that she wasn't somebody who could easily be swayed. Annie could be someone who comes in handy if she can be convinced, but nothing good ever comes from a deceptive ally like Guillermo.

"Your prep teams are gonna be here soon to get you ready for the procession, so I'll make these last two quick." There was another tribute.
"Sasha Braus, District 7. She's an excellent hunter, for both animals and people. She's good with a bow, but also good at hand to hand combat. Pretty easy to get along with too."
"And we're supposed to avoid her?" Mikasa asked, a puzzled look on her face. Out of all these tributes, Sasha looked like the best candidate for an ally. She was a great survivalist, strong, friendly, and very pretty (not that it mattered to Mikasa). Her chocolate brown eyes held a cleverness to them, but not the malignant kind. Sasha didn't look like she was going to immediately tear her apart the second the gong rung, so what was so bad about allying with her?
"Yes," Levi confirmed. "She's not going to be alone. If you ally with her, you'll have to ally with him." Another tribute's picture appeared onscreen.

"Connie Springer, her district companion." Connie's ash blond hair was  in a messy, slightly outgrown buzz cut. His eyes were an amber color, similar to Guillermo's, but not nearly as intense. "Connie won solely out of luck. He outlasted everyone else simply by hiding until the games were over. The game makers usually don't let that happen, but I guess they were feeling generous that year," Levi explained. "He's dead weight though, and siding with him will only slow you down."
"That's harsh, don't you think?" Armin couldn't help but feel for Connie. He was sure the other tributes were told the same thing about himself. If Connie won his games, there was probably more of a strategy than that. Levi certainly didn't think so though.
"Would you rather have to kill him yourself? Let the arena do its thing." If there was one thing Levi was, it was brutally honest. Whether it was a good or bad thing, he wasn't one to hold any punches. "If you were mentoring any of the other tributes would you tell them to let the arena kill me instead?" Armin stood up, averting his gaze as he stepped away from the couch. "This was very informative, but I think I'm gonna go wait for my prep team. Thanks Levi." Without another word, Armin left to find his room.
Mikasa got up to go after him, but Levi stopped her. "Leave him be, Mikasa." He turned the hologram off, tossing the remote onto an empty spot on the couch. "I think that's enough stress for today, go find your prep team."