While the Career Girls all headed over to various weapon stations as the Anti-Career Pack practiced at the survival stations, the Career Boys found themselves all just staring up at the Head Gamemaker, in an attempt to try to figure out exactly what he had planned for them.
"This is fucking hopeless. We're not going to get anything useful out of this" Dollar said after a while, to which a lot of the other Career Boys agreed.
"Yeah, you're right" Cato sighed, as the guys all trekked over to a random corner of the Training Center, where they could talk amongst themselves.
"So, what now? Basically, the only way we're going to know what the hell Heavensbee has in that arena is when the games start" Marvel said worriedly.
Cato thought about it for a moment. "The only thing we can do is, go into this games on full alert and hope there isn't anything that fucking screws us over in there. God this is so fucking stupid" he said a couple seconds later.
They all turned to look back at Plutarch for a second, watching the man smirk like a grinning idiot, except that they knew full well that Plutarch wasn't an idiot. Then, they turned back to each other, groaning.
"God, words cannot describe how much I want to wipe the smirk off his damn fucking face" groaned Bronze.
Marvel looked at him like he was nuts. "He's the Head Gamemaker, dipshit. There's no fucking way he's going to like just fucking tell us what he has planned for us if we just asked him. That's not how this fucking works."
Bronze turned to Marvel, annoyed. "I mean, so what? We're snagged either way."
The male Careers all went silent for a while, until Cato decided to speak up.
"Hey Marvel, what did you say Rook's strengths were?" he asked.
"Um... I think it was Swords, Axes, and he can run fast. Why do you ask?" Marvel replied, confused as to why Cato would ask.
"Nothing really, just wanted to remind myself" Cato replied, even as in his brain, a plan was forming. In the meantime, he went back to being silent as the other Careers stood there silently, thinking over Heavensbee's interview again and again. Soon, before long, the Career Girls walked over to the Guys.
"Hey there, you all" Isabel commented. "Seems you all are deep in thought."
"Yeah, we are. Trying to understand what the hell the Head Gamemaker has planned for us in the arena" Bronze replied, to which Isabel chuckled.
"Well, I think your thinking can wait. Check out this doofus from 8 over here" Isabel giggled, as she led the guys with the girls following between Isabel and the former over towards a particular spot. There, she pointed and laughed. Over at the spear station, one of the scrawny kids from 8 was trying - and failing miserably - to hit a lethal blow on the target 40 yards away. He could throw a spear, he managed to learn that part surprisingly, but his aim was terrible.
"Look at this sucker. Can't even aim a spear properly" Isabel chuckled, and Mercy, Raider, Diamond, and Shelby all laughed as well. The rest of the pack remained silent, as Adagio, Clove, Mina, Jackie, and Finch all stared back at the guys, who were again looking in the direction of Plutarch. Even though Twilight was clearly visible in their field of view, the guys cleared acted as if she wasn't there, preferring instead to study Plutarch like hawks. At the same time, while Oak, Will, and the two District 4 tributes were practicing in the Simulator, the other four anti-Careers were also staring intently at Plutarch. Each group had the same question in their brain.
Just what the hell are you planning, Plutarch Heavensbee?
-----------------------
After training, the Career Girls all headed back to their floors, and the Anti-Career Pack and most of the rest of the tributes did as well. Only the guys in the Career Pack stay in the empty Training Center, doing some extra training and still trying to figure out Plutarch. Dollar groaned after a while and clutched his head.
"Ugh.. I think I hurt my brain from thinking too much, guys" he muttered.
"Good thing it's just us in here, and no one else" Marvel stated, to which Cato and Cameron nodded.
Urchin was back in the simulator at the moment, using a sword this time instead of a trident, and he was doing about as good as he was before. Davis decided to spend his time in there on that particular night lifting weights, while Marvel and Bronze had decided to go spear throwing.
So far, it was quiet in the area, except for the Careers still in there. Then, as Urchin stepped out of the simulator, they heard a clapping sound behind them. All of the Careers in there turned around to find none other than President Snow himself, flanked on each side by three Peacekeepers each.
"The President Of Panem himself.." Cameron whispered. "Holy shit.."
The others didn't have time to respond as Snow spoke up.
"Greetings, fellow tributes. I see you're putting in some extra training tonight" he said, as the eerie, faint smell of blood began to become apparent in the room.
"Yes sir" Cato replied. "We figured that a few more hours of training couldn't hurt."
Snow chuckled, which oddly enough, put the Careers on edge, and caused Cato to cut straight to the point. "What do you want, Sir?"
This caused Snow to chuckle some more before he stopped and got down to business. "I'm here to give you a few words of advice for these games, if you so choose to take it. First off, I hope you all realize the serious situation you all are working under. I only allowed Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark to live last games because if one of them died, it would have upset the morale of the nation. Despite the direct act of defiance towards the Capitol, I had to let it slide at the moment to give the nation their victors. Now, I'm not entirely pleased with how the reaping of this game has turned out. Primrose Everdeen should have gone into the arena to die, as punishment for her sister winning. Now, it seems, I'll have to take a less obvious approach, one that I ask of you to keep secret. Do I have your word?"
The Careers looked at each other nervously, not sure if they wanted to or not. In the end though, they all reluctantly nodded their heads.
"Good. Now, the approach I have to take is making sure all of the tributes this year die, including the Everdeen's friend, Mina Carolina."
The mention of Mina's name caused Cameron to snap and tear forward like a wild animal, only to held back by the combined efforts of Cato, Marvel, and Bronze. Cameron snarled and hissed at Snow, fueled with hatred.
"You piece of shit! You harm her, I will fucking kill you! Do you hear me?!" Cameron screamed.
"Cam, get a hold of yourself, dude!" Cato shouted at him, while Snow just chuckled.
"Seems like I have struck a nerve. Good day to you, gentlemen" he said before leaving.
After he left, the Careers turned to each other with wide eyed faces.
"This just got real, hasn't it?" Davis muttered.
"Yep, it just got very, very fucking real" Cato answered, and then all the other Careers turned to look at Cameron, who still had a murderous expression on his face. This Hunger Games had become more than just a game to them. It was now going to be a fight for survival and a defiance of Snow's will which was something that before now, none of the Careers would even consider doing. Now that Snow had dragged Mina into his plans to punish Katniss and Peeta, the ones that hated them for winning last year were now finding themselves as the only ones that could save one of the Star Crossed Lovers' first mentored tributes from Snow's wrath. Failure was not an option.