skull on fire: A skulduggery pleasant/ hunger games crossover fanfic

Chapter Five: The Capitol

Chapter Five: The Capitol

After a night of fitful dozing, me and Skulduggery are awoken by the tall Capitol assistant from last night. He hands me a note saying that we are nearing the capitol and that our mentor (who has survived his surgery) wants to see us.

After a brief breakfast of toast dipped in hot chocolate, me and Skulduggery set off for our mentors cabin. When we arrive, the poor guy is propped up on some cushions in his bed and looking severely angry. After he has complained for half an hour about his back, he decides to tell us his name.

"Meredith Low, and I'm not at all pleased to see you", he states, holding out his hand.

I shake it, bemused, "Isn't Meredith a girls name?" I ask.

"Well," he says,"I would prefer if you don't mention that but, yes. It is."

"But, why.." I start.

"Don't ask. All I can say is, why is Artemis Fowl called Artemis? that is a girls name to but he has become a bestseller. Sometimes it is best not to question these things."

Skulduggery has been silent the entire conversation but now he speaks. "It is also best not to question things like why a five hundred year old skeleton looks so 'old' am I right?"

"Look Skull dude, I'm sorry I saw you and kinda screamed, Its not like I could help it!! And plus, you did throw me off a train, so I think were even now. Whaddaya say?"

"Well.. It was a particularly loud scream but I am prepared to let it all go if you can tell us how on earth you managed to survive the arena and how you can help us survive."

"Okay then. It's a deal! I survived by plain luck. I just got myself low scores deliberately, ran for it when the cannon went and hid up a tree until there was only one guy left. I was going to head off and hunt for him but, luckily for me, he went and stood on a poison mushroom and died."

"What did you do then?", I ask.

"I sang Hallelujah until the hovercraft arrived then went back to the capitol and ate cake."

I elbow Skulduggery and whisper "I told you eating cake would help us survive!"

Skulduggery laughs softly and says in that beautifully velvety voice of his, "Hows about we leave old Merry here and go find some cake right now."

I nod and say to Meredith, "I'm sorry man but me and Skulduggery have to go and do some last minute preparation before we get to the Capitol."

"Oh, good. I'm glad to see the backs of you. and just so as you know, I'm going to let your stylist do all the work and go into an early retirement so don't expect to see any more of me!"

"I'm counting on it", murmurs Skulduggery.

Me and Skulduggery haunt the aisles in search for cake. At some point Clarabelle joins us and helps direct us to a buffet carriage that I had no idea even existed. We open the door to see one of the greatest cakes ever made. A huge lemon cheesecake!We all help ourselves to some and sit next to the window with them.

I can see the Capitol getting closer and closer. It looks amazing but terrifying. there are towers as tall as the highest clouds and buildings wider than my entire district. As we get closer we begin to notice crowds of people looking for a glimpse of this years tributes. I hold my slice of cake up to them and point to it, mouthing 'This is the greatest cake in the world' They love it.

Skulduggery and me wave, we would rather not but right now, getting sponsored is the most important thing in this world. Because sponsors pay for gifts and gifts could be food or medicine or weapons. Those little silver parachutes could save our lives.

Some time later, the train finally stops. Clarabelle helps us off the train and leads us to a tall, blue building. While we wait for the door to be opened, she informs us that she is our stylist and, now that Meredith has retired, is also taking care of the sponsors for us. She asks me and Skulduggery what jobs we had back in district five which is power and maintenance. As I am only sixteen I had only just applied to be a geologist but Skulduggery had seventy years of equipment manager work under his belt. Do not ask me what Skulduggery did with the rest of his life.

The door opens and we walk inside. Clarabelle shows us to our apartments and and asks us to shower quickly and then come down into her designing studio. I give skulduggery a quick peck on the jawbone then do just that. Me and Skulduggery meet in the hallway outside the studio and knock on the door. It opens and we enter to see the most amazing array of clothes I have ever seen. There is leathers and suits and dresses, blue and pink and fluorescent yellow. Me and Skulduggery stare in awe at all this finery untill we hear a light cough behind us.

"Are you done staring yet?". It's Clarabelle. Who else?

"Uuuhm.." says Skulduggery.

"Yes", I say, "We are now finished staring. But these are amazing! Did you design them all?"

"No" Says a voice behind a rack of clothing, "I did".

A man so covered in scars you can hardly see his face steps out.

"Names Ghastly, I'm Skulduggery's designer."

"So did you design all these?", I ask.

"No, the ones on the left are mine and the others are Clarabelles."

"Wow!", I say."They're incredible!"

"Indeed they are. Now if you could please follow Clarabelle, she has an outfit to show you."

I follow Clarabelle into a separate room and sit down on a couch. Clarabelle presses a button on the table and it separates, revealing an outfit that is covered in a large white sheet. Clarabelle asks me to go into the cubicle in the corner to remove my clothes then come out again. I do just that.

Clarabelle lowers the outfit over my head. it is a dress. she then asks me to step into a pair of flats she has left on the floor. Then she tells me to open my eyes. I am in a beautiful black dress, it has red wires coming out of the waist and they are glowing with some kind of fiery light that makes the black dress shimmer eerily. My shoes are black, with a thin red ribbon at the top. The outfit is beautiful.

A:N: Is this okay? Please let me know in comments below and please VOTE and COMMENT!! thank you!:)

<3