Percy’s POV

Considering the circumstances, I actually had a pretty good night sleep. Call me crazy (maybe I am) but I kind of enjoy being here, in the Capitol. I mean, I get pampered, there’s always food on the table and I don’t have to worry about feeding anyone. Of  course, it’s only for a while. Unless I get crowned as a victor, then it’ll probably be a permanent thing.

I wake up feeling very hungry. I always do, actually. Addy used to say I have a stomach the size of a house. Which I suppose I do, since I am easily hungry. After having a shower (which involves some certain accident with the temperature), I quickly dress up. Looking at the mirror, I think I’m looking a little bit paler than usual. Maybe a bit gaunt. Must be the stress. What do you think?

Well, looks like nobody is going to yell at me to come down to breakfast. And Haymitch didn’t say the exact time he wants to meet us. I’d better go and stuff myself first.

I was really pleased to see that there are food served on the table. One of the Avoxes, a young man, nods when I asked him if I could help myself to the buffet of food. So, I start with the bread, which had always been my all-time favourite, and some of the hot chocolate we had yesterday. I must have drank around three servings of the hot chocolate when Katniss appears.

“ You, too?” she asks, rolling her eyes.

“ Hey, I was starving,” I shrug. “ Figured that they are going to be late, so I’d better start first.”

“ I thought so, too. Is that what you are just going to eat?” she asks, raising an eyebrow when she sees me only eating bread and hot chocolate.

“ Nah…this is just the starter,” I say. “ As Addy,” I stop, a sudden pang of sadness hits me, “….as Addy used to say, I have a stomach the size of a house,” I say, trying to sound cheerful. But of course, my hesitation didn’t go amiss. But Katniss was tactful enough to avoid questioning it.

“ Well, then. Start filling that house of a stomach of yours, then,” she grins. And that’s what I did. Stuff myself. It does help me numb the pain I suddenly felt when I remembered Addy’s joke. We continue to eat in silence, watching the sun rise over the Capitol.

I was pretty impressed to see Katniss continuing to eat; this time the rolls with the hot chocolate. I mean, she ate much more than me and she’s still not full!

“ Someone’s got a big appetite,” I comment. She didn’t answer; merely rolls her eyes.

The door suddenly opens and Haymitch staggers in, looking only a little bit drunk. “ Mornin’,” he slurs. “ Had a good night sleep?”

“ Kind of,” I reply.

“ Good,” he says. “ ‘Cause you’re gonna need it,” he guffaws before filling his plate with food. I had to stop myself from grinning at his uncare-ish attitude.

I see Katniss playing with the roll she had just taken from the basket. There’s a look of queasiness on her face. I think my face probably has the same look on it. I mean, we’d be nutters if we don’t feel queasy and/or nervous about the Games.

After Haymitch has finished several platters of stew, he pushes back his plate with a sigh. He takes a flask from his pocket (spirits, no doubt about that) and takes a long pull from it and leans his elbows on the table.  “ So, let’s get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, I’ll coach you separately. Decide now.” Oh, yeah. Training. Facing the other tributes for the first time.

 I totally forgot about that.

“ Why would you coach us separately?” Katniss asks.

“ Say you might have a secret skill that you don’t want the other to know about,” says Haymitch.

Secret skill? Oh, yeah…my secret skill has always been able to control waters. NOT. I accidentally laughed out loud, though at that. Everyone looked at me like I had lost my marbles.

“ What?” I ask them. “ I can laugh, can’t I?” Haymitch gives me a look. “ Okay, okay. Well, we don’t have any secrets with each other.” For some reasons, I think Katniss just blushed.

“ You can coach us together,” she tells Haymitch. I just shrugged. What difference will it make, really? We both know our own greatness…so, there’s nothing to hide.

“ All right, so give me some ideas on what you can do,” says Haymitch.

We look at each other. I shrug. “ We can hunt. She with a bow, me with a knife.”

“ What about a sword?” asks Haymitch.

“ It’s not so different from a knife, now is it?” I say. He rubs his chin thoughtfully before turning his attention on Katniss.

“ Are you good enough with a bow and arrows?” he asks her.

“ I’m alright,” was all she said. I shook my head.

“ She’s underrating herself,” I tell Haymitch. “ She’s brilliant. Her kills are usually clean. She shoots her arrow right in the eye so the carcass aren’t damaged. Well, usually.”

“ What the heck are you doing?” she suddenly snaps at me and it kinda pissed me off. I mean, seriously, she’s underrating herself and when I’m trying to help her, she snaps at me.

“ What are you doing?” I shot back at her. “ I’m trying to help you here. You’re brilliant with that bow and arrows. Why are you underrating yourself?!”

“ Let me be, you moron!” she suddenly yell at me. “ I don’t need your help! Enough is enough!”

“ What is enough?” I yell back at her. “ I am trying to repay you back for what you have done for me all this time!”

“ So you want to play by that angle, huh? Fine!” she says before turning to Haymitch. “ He is a whiz with a knife. I didn’t even need to teach him twice for him to get a clean kill. He can even kill someone or something just with a flick of his hand and you won’t even notice it!”

“ That’s ridiculous,” I retort.

“ No, it is not!”

We glare at each other.

“ You have no idea,” I say slowly, “ the effect you can have.” There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes before it is replaced by the usual cold stare.

There was silence for a minute before Haymitch clears his throat. “ Well, then. Well, well, well. Katniss, there’s no guarantee there’ll be bows and arrows in the arena, but during your private session with the Gamemakers, show them what you can do. Until then, stay clear of archery. Are you any good at trapping?”

“ I know a few basic snares,” she mutters.

“ Basic?” I ask her. “ You know a hell lot more than just basics, Katniss.” She opens her mouth to retort but Haymitch managed to cut in.

“ Okay, that’s enough you two,” he says firmly. “ Man, I’m getting jibes here. You two fancy each other, huh?”

“ When hell freezes over,” I say without realizing it.

“ Fair enough,” she replies. We glare at each other.

“ Right. Uh…Percy, don’t underestimate your ability to throw knives, okay? From what I understand, you can kill from a far distance and that is an advantage for you.” I didn’t respond. “ And I’ve heard that you used to work in the mines back at the district, right?” I nod. “ That might come in handy too. You could actually rig some bombs or something.” Silence. “ In the Training Center, there will be the weapons you are most familiar with: bows, arrows, knives. But don’t reveal anything about your skills with those weapons, okay? Not in front of the other tributes. The plan is for the both of you. You go to group training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don’t know. Throw a spear. Swing a mace. Learn to tie a decent knot. Save showing what you’re best at for private sessions. Are we clear?” We both nod.

“ And one last thing. In public, I want you both by each other’s side at all times,” says Haymitch. We both started to object, but Haymitch slams his hand on the table.  “ Every minute! It’s not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said. You will be together, you will appear to be amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Effie at the elevator at ten for training.”

I stomp my way back to my quarters, fuming. Angry at Haymitch for making us do this. Angry at Katniss for  talking me up. And of course, angry at myself for saying what I had said. I didn’t mean it, actually. Really didn’t mean it.

But what was that? Back there, in the dining room…did we just talk up each other’s strengths and abilities? This really have to stop. Pretending we are friends. Okay, we weren’t pretending being friends but….I don’t know. But it really have to stop. Because sooner or later, we have to accept the fact that we are going to be bitter adversaries. Heck, maybe we are going to be the one who will slit each other’s throats.

I rub my face, trying to get the anger out. When it’s finally gone, I glance at the clock. Almost ten. It’s time to meet my fellow tributes…

***************************************************************************************

The actual training rooms are below ground level of our building. With these elevators, the ride is less than a minute. The doors open into an enormous gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacle courses. Although it isn’t ten yet,  we’re the last ones to arrive. The other tributes are gathered in a tense circle. They each have a square cloth pinned to their shirts with their district number. While someone pins the number 12 on my back, I glanced around the room. We’re the only ones dressed like twins. Great..

As soon as we join the circle, the trainer, a tall, athletic woman named Atala steps up and begins to explain the training schedule.  Experts in each skills will remain at their stations. We will be free to travel from area to area as we choose, per our mentor’s instructions. Some of the stations teach survival techniques, others fighting techniques. We are forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute (oh, yeah…I can’t wait to get my hands on that humongous boy from 2. NOT). There are assistants on hand if we want to practice with a partner (does this include killing them? I mean, as part of the training? No? Okay, just asking…).

When Atala begins to read the list of the skill stations, I notice Katniss’ eyes flitting around the room, taking in everyone. And I see despair in her eyes. I follow her gaze and can’t resist a smile. Yes, of course she feels a little bit despair. Almost all of the boys and at least half of the girls are bigger than her. Heck, half of the boys and some of the girls are bigger than me, and I am bigger than her! Well, just a little bit. I move in closer to her.

“ Nervous?”

“ Aren’t you?” I shrug. “ They’re all bigger than me! Than us!” There’s definitely despair in her voice.

“ Yes, but you have to remember: we are faster, stronger and better than all of them put together, okay? We will stand a chance. This Games, District Twelve had sent the finest fighters from…uh, the Seam,” I finish my ‘speech’ lamely. “ Okay, never mind about that. But just remember, we are the best.”

“ Is that so, Twelve?” Uh-oh.... I look up and saw that the circle had broken up. Atala had finished her briefing and the humongous boy from Two, Cato, I think his name is approaches us. “ Are you really better than all of us put together?” He heard us?

“ Oh, yes.” Stupid me. I don’t know where the sudden bravery had come from. All I know is that I may get landed into deep, deep trouble. In the arena. Where no one but sponsors can help me. “ I know that the both of us are better than the rest of you put together.”

“ You guys don’t seem that much,” Cato said, looking us up and down. “ In fact, you two look like a pair of walking sticks.” There were hoots of laughter and I saw that the Career pack – the pack that consists traditionally of tributes from 1, 2 and 4 – guffawing.

“ Oh, yeah? Well, don’t underestimate us, pair of walking sticks. There’s a reason why we are better than you,” I retorted back. Katniss tugs at my arm, pulling me away from Cato.

“ Oh, really, Twelve? Well, you and that stick friend of yours better watch your back. Because maybe you two are  going to be my first targets.” More hoots of laughter.

“ Just ignore them,” Katniss mutters as we stopped at the first station.

“ Where are we?” I was still fuming I didn’t notice the sign over the station. “ Oh…” Knot tying.

The trainer seems pleased to have students. You get the feeling that the knot-tying class isn’t a Hunger Games hot spot.  When he realizes the both of us – well, mostly Katniss – knows something about  snares, he shows us a simple, excellent trap that will leave a human competitor dangling by the leg. We concentrate on this one skill for an hour before moving on to the next station: camouflaging. My favourite. Because back home, it involves playing with water and mud. Mostly. And I absolutely adore water.

“ If Peeta was here, he would definitely have enjoyed this station,” I suddenly say  as we swirl around clays and berry juices on our skin.

“ Why the sudden talk about Peeta?” Katniss asks.

“ Just some random thing,” I shrug. “ He does the cakes back at the bakery.”

“ Really,” she says, sounding interested but I know she’s getting bored with the topic.

“ Yeah…you know, the iced ones. The ones on display, that Prim and Addy used to drag us just so they could see the cakes.” The iced cakes are something of an art, that I can tell you.

“ Really? Well, they are lovely. If only you could frost someone to death,” she says scathingly.

“ Don’t be too superior, Katniss. You never know what shape the arena will be. Say if it’s a giant cake-“

“ Say we move on,” she cuts me and moves away.

I sigh and follow her. She can be a little too unpredictable sometimes. Yeah, yeah, a small voice inside my head say. Look at the kettle, it continues, it’s calling the pot black.

Shut up, I tell it.