An Ice Cold Killer - The 66th Hunger Games

Training and Private Sessions (part 7)

Instead of my alarm clock waking me up, I wake up first. Theres no way I'm gonna blow this one opportunity I have-the opportunity to prove what I'm worth, which isn't really that much to begin with. Lionel rushes in my room to wake me up I guess, but when he sees me he says, "Oh, good, you're up. We're leaving in an hour to go to the Training Center at 10 am, so take a quick shower, brush your teeth, the usual. When I finish them, I skip breakfast and we leave. It takes around 5 minutes to get there since we took one of those high-speed trains like the ones that picked me and Elizabeth after the reaping. 

"God damn, is that the Training Center?" Elizabeth asks, pointing to a massively massive structure."

"Yep thats it. Tall, isn't it?" Grier asks, "Its the tallest building in the Capitol, and maybe Panem, but District 3 and 5 have some pretty tall structures and buildings. I would know since I saw them during my Victory Tour. I don't know if it still looks like it did on the inside when I went training, No matter, still serves the same purpose. You guys ready?" He asks, grabbing a light jacket. 

"I sure am." I say, trying to not to sound too exited. "We could make some allies ther-"

"Actually, I'm not trying to burst your bubble or anything but thats a bad idea. Lets say you make an alliance with some people. You know that if you're the last ones left, you're gonna have to kill each other, and I sure as hell didn't do that when I was in the Games, so you probably shouldn't either. Sorry kid, just trying to help. If you really have to ally, don't do it with the Careers. Because once you guys are the only ones left, guess who they'll kill first?" Greir asks.

"Me?" I ask.

"Yes, you. They don't care about anyone from 10 when it comes down to Districts 1, 2, and 4. Sorry kid, just trying to help." Grier says.

"Its okay," I say. Just then, the train slows down and eventually stops, and we get out and we're escorted by at least a dozen Peacekeepers. Once we enter the building, one of the Peacekeepers presses a button that leads us to the training room, while Lionel and Greir leave to go somewhere else since mentors aren't allowed there. When he arrive, almost everyone else is there, including the Careers. Kaily catches my eye, she spots me, and says something to the other Careers. One of the Career males says something and they all laugh, and I don't know whats so funny. Instead, I train with the tributes from 9 at the survival stations. They look very shy, and they don't really try to talk when I attempt to start a conversation. I see that the male is making a fire while the female and a trainer observe. I decide to watch since I would probably need it in the arena. It remembers on what Greir said about making fires. 

I decide to specialize in a weapon since Im guaranteed to use one in the arena if I make if far enough. I decide to use a knife and a machete, since thats what my district has, and I spar with a combat trainer. In line behind me is a girl from District 7 who I noticed as an aptitude for training, as you'd expect from someone from 7. When I'm done, she doesn't take the machete I used, but instead takes a Khopesh and uses that as a weapon. I hop off of the stand and go somewhere else, and I see Elizabeth on the gauntlet. Im certainly impressed with her speed and agility, as she jumps over the trainers trying to slash her with swords while she's on the obstacle course. I wouldn't know since I've never known her before in my life until now. To my left, Kaily specializes in throwing tridents, as expected. 

Trident throwing a District 4 tributes is like a stereotype, like how District 7 uses axes most of the time in the Games. Her parter, Clyde, a tall and lanky kid with red hair throws knives with the District 1 tributes, Ajax and Mona. The District 2 male, Bishop, a tall and muscular kid with light skin and strait blackish hair is throwing spears and hitting the bulls-eye target with ease. And lastly, the girl from 2, Sophi, a girl about my height with wavy brown hair with lots of freckles is also specializing in axes, training with the boy from 7. I don't know why she would know how to use one since they really use those. But she's really good at using one so I won't judge. I see that boy from 6 from the reaping. He's at the sword fighting station I was at earlier, but instead of using a sword, he tackles the trainer and has to be restrained by guards. What an idiot. 

I dont notice Elizabeth is behind me until she says, "Jackson! I want you to meet Daniel, the boy from 8. I made friends with him," We just stare awkwardly until she says, "Well, cmon! Shake hands you two!" We hesitantly shake and I realize that they're probably boyfriend and girlfriend. Its the worst time to do it, since if they outlive us all somehow, then one of them will still have to be killed since there can only be one winner. Thats the problem with being in a alliance.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second, Elizabeth somewhere else?" I whisper.

"Ok..." She says back.

"Listen, you know what Greir said about making allies. You should break this off. What if he's trying to trick you?" I ask.

"I highly doubt it. Screw what Greir said about that. Im taking my chances. Its not like the odds aren't in my favor or anything." She says.

"We'll see after we get our scores back. I still think this isnt a good idea," I say. I look behind her to see if Daniel is there, and he is, watching us with a huge grin on my face. I know he's up to nothing good. 

"What are you guys talkin' about?" Daniel asks.

"None of your business." I say back, "Fine, but I'm just saying that this isn't a good move."

"I don't care what you think," She says, and walks off with Daniel. Speaking of private sessions and training scores, a voice on the loud speaker calls us to go in another room, a waiting room, for us to be called to do our session.

Mona Grace, Ajax Harrison, Bishop Hadley, Sophy Delaware, Kaily Flanagan, and Clyde Stephinus are the names of the careers being called to show off there skills. Its no doubt that they'll get good scores. However, for the rest of us, I'm not sure. It seems like an eternity trying to wait here, with each session taking around 10 mins easily, making me have to wait close to two damn hours. By the time they call me, I'm so damn tired, but I cover it up so I don't look stupid. The door opens automatically and I see the sponsors, Gamemakers, and the Head Gamemaker, Iuvartus, the guy I was talking about earlier. He doesn't really resemble his cousin Claudius, since he is average height, not obese nor lean, and has icy blue eyes that make my heart sink whenever he gives me a mean look. 

"Jackson Spidell, District 10," I say. I don't they give a shit about us, and just want this job to be done with, even though they have plenty more tributes to see. Iuvartus sits up, and gives me a hand signal to go. I look behind me and see a large variety of weapons, swords, axes, spears, knives, sickles, scythes, bow and arrows, machete....machete! I take it as soon as I can I start to spar with a trainer. Im not really that special with it, but my skills also aren't that bad. After that, with the last five minutes I have left, I take a knife similar in shape to a butcher knife, and start sparing with them, and after that I start to throw them at a targets and dummies. I have to say, right around this time, I can see that they're taking interest in my skills. I hope I can get a sponsor or two, but its a rarity that we ever get any since like I said earlier, us District 10 kids weren't born for fighting, unlike the citizens of District 2, who either fight in the Games or either are stationed to be a Peacekeeper. 

When my time is up, I am picked up by the same train and I am forced to wait until Elizabeth is done. I've lost some respect on her for being allies with that kid.