'No. No no no. This can't be happening. He's twelve. He's freaking twelve years old and has to fight to his death.' Dean's head was spinning. Peacekeepers were taking Sam up to the stage and just as his foot made contact with the step a voice screamed "I VOLUNTEER!" Heads snapped to look at Dean as he realised he was the one who shouted. "I volunteer!" He repeated. "I volunteer as tribute."
XXXX
Cas had been escorted onto the train before he could get a proper look at what Michael had given him. Sitting in his chosen room, on the floor, his back flush with the side of his bed, Cas pulled it out of his pocket and held it up in front of him. A pair of silvery angel wings hung on a silver chain. Michael's voice rung in his ears as tears sprung to his eyes. "Angels are watching over you." Glancing at the ceiling of the train, Castiel whispered a quick prayer and slid the chain around his neck, silently vowing to never take it off.
XXXX
After standing alongside Balthazar and Jo on district 7's little stage for what seemed like hours under the scrutiny of his peers (yet in reality was only several minutes), Dean was taken to a small room for his final goodbyes. Tears had welled in his eyes and threatened to spill over, and Dean would have let them if he hadn't of heard Sam shouting for him. The large, oak, door burst open. Sam stood openly weeping whereas Bobby just stared at him, ashen faced. Without a word Sam ran at him, arms tightening around his middle and squeezing as if he would never let go.
"Dean" Sam spoke through his tears. "Dean you have to do something!"
"What's that kiddo?" Dean responded, pulling away to look Sam in the eye.
"Win for me Dean."
XXXX
Cas' journey to the Capitol was uneventful. He spoke to no one but Meg, ate little and slept even less. By the third night on board, Rufus, district 2's champion and mentor, stopped him and straight up told him that if he didn't join them for a full meal tonight, he wouldn't make the Capitol alive. Cas thought about disobeying but thought of his brothers and how they would react if they knew their brother was already losing it at this early stage. So that's how Castiel Novak found himself at a table with a drunken Balthazar, a stony faced Rufus, and a frighteningly giddy Meg. She grinned at him.
"I spoke to the driver today. He says we'll be there by tomorrow night!" Cas wished he could share her enthusiasm. When he found he couldn't, he flashed her a small smile. It wasn't much but it was all he could muster.
Not ten minutes later, their table was full of silver platters, each boasting their own delicacy. After barely eating for so long, Cas didn't want to make himself sick, so instead of filling his plate with roast birds, buttery vegetables and crispy potatoes dripping with fat, he ladled a thick, spring green soup into a bowl that was placed next to him by a fair haired man, whom Cas later learned was an avox. Although he didn't quite know what the soup was, it smelled fresh and healthy and like the soups he'd eaten at home. Dipping a tentative spoon into the mixture and bringing it to his lips, he blew on it and tried some. Immediately the pure taste of peas spread across his taste buds, quickly cut with the fresh zing of mint and the heaviness of cream. Definitely different to the one we made at home he thought. After that, Cas picked at a salad, eating the nicer parts such as the chunks of roast chicken and walnuts.
"Cas, you should eat some proper food" Mag said, sounding slightly concerned.
"I'm not hungry" he retorted. Cas stood, heading to his room to take a nap.
