District Five, Victor's Village

The frantic banging on the door was an unwelcome sound to Edison, still half asleep in another vivid nightmare. Grumbling, he turned to face the wall, uncomfortable on the hard couch he was currently residing upon. "God. Who is it?" He called, angrily. "Go away. Go away!"

The knock came again, much to the dismay of the sullen Victor, and he threw off the covers, stumbling away from the couch, toward the wall. His head was sore, aching from the restlessness of another night, and there were black circles, almost shining in their intensity, underneath his despaired eyes. It looked as though the man hadn't slept for years- only half wrong, to be honest.

Edison threw open the door, only to be bombarded by a figure pushing him backward, before stumbling into the house, slamming the door and fumbling with the numerous locks Edison had put there after the Thirty-Eighth Games.

"Who-"

"Shut up, Locke, they're listening." The figure turned, and in the dark light, Edison could make out pale blond hair, dark-set oriental features, and a frame smaller than his own.

"Hell, Minhyuk," Edison said, growling. "Shouldn't you be back with your Capitolite buddies?"

"They're listening to us, I don't- I didn't know where to go. They watch and they murmur and they burned it. They burned it all. They'll burn me too- to ashes, Locke, to ashes…"

"Who?" Edison asked, suddenly alert, though he earned no reply. "Minhyuk, who is listening?"

"The Capitol, Edison!" The shorter man yelled, white and silver hands pressed into his blonde hair as he fell forward. Edison didn't bother to catch him. Despite the years they'd spent near each other since his victory, Edison was hardened. He didn't care for anyone- not even the steadiest, unchanging factor in his life as a Victor. Minhyuk reached up, grabbing Edison's arm slightly. "They're listening, and they're going to find me, Edison, they'll find me! Shit…shit, I can't- I can't do this anymore."

The escort stayed there, unmoving, still madly holding onto his head with one hand.

"You shouldn't have come here," Edison says, voice louder. "It's the first place they'd look, and, either way, I can't help you! I won't help you!"

"You can, Edison, I know you can, so don't even give me that."

Edison paced the hallway madly, sweat running down his forehead. The forty-four year old man was in absolutely no hurry to get involved in anything related to the Capitol. His mind reasoned that this was the closest person he had to a friend, this was Minhyuk, and because of that- though Edison tried desperately to ignore it- he wanted to know more.

"You…chose the wrong person."

"Why, because you're dead?" Minhyuk spat. "Well, I'm dead too, Edison. If there's anyone…anything…you're a victor, for Godssake! You have power, even being from District Five! We've been there together, year after year, watching them die…they killed them, Locke, they killed Hyorin, and Cyan and Dara…my daughter…I never…"

"You weren't her father, Minhyuk. Cyan was a prostitute. She never loved you anyway." Edison said coldly. Minhyuk's head snapped up, a forlorn scream ripping from his throat.

"Fuck you, Edison. You don't know what I did to get you out of that arena alive!"

"What the hell did you do Minhyuk? What did you do for anyone?"

"I- nothing- I was- you… I was getting attached, okay! You're from district Five, Cyan was from One…they thought I was getting mixed up, convincing Capitolites they were on the wrong side. I couldn't- they're killing everyone because of me. You're all I have now. They think I'm a threat, they think you're a threat…and they want us dead, Locke. The President…he killed them. He'll kill you."

Edison closed his mouth, swallowing dryly. "They're fucking us over, like always. I don't deserve this…I won…I'm supposed…supposed to be free…supposed to be free, dammit!"

"They'll never let you go, Edison, don't you see that?" Minhyuk was on his feet now, shaking the man's arms, practically screaming at him. "Don't you get it! We're just pawns to them! They're going to kill us! We were always alone except for each other! You don't understand that?" A pause, the desperation showing clearly in the escort's eyes, before he backed down. "We're leaving, Edison. Grab some things and meet me-"

"I won't." Edison said, resilience leaking through. "I'm not leaving. I can't. Where would it get me, in the end? Where would we even go? You're a traitor now. We're threats. You said it yourself, I'm dead. And so are you."

Minhyuk raised his eyes to meet Edison's gaze evenly. "Then you better hurry up and die for real."

Minhyuk Ahn made it barely two feet out of the Victor's Village before a hand covered his mouth, knife pressing into the flesh of his throat.

"You can't run from us. We'll always find you..."

"You're all psychotic fucks," the escort spat, free hand grabbing the gloved one holding the blade to his throat. "If you want to kill me, hurry up and do it."

"You're a traitor to your own people. Rats like you are meant to be shot down- a waste of space, really." A pause. "But, on orders of the President, I'm offering an ultimatum. A new position has recently been opened...a powerful spot that needs filling after the previous owner...lost her head, you might say."

"Go screw yourself." Minhyuk said, apparent loathing in his voice. The blade nicked his skin, a drop of blood staining his white shirt, and Minhyuk felt a tinge of fear creeping up his spine. "...state it, then. Your...ultimatum..."

"I kill you now, right here in District Five, and arrange it to look like a suicide...or you take the President's offer. You're a wild card. And for that reason, you filthy rat, she wants you to become the Head Gamemaker for the Forty First Hunger Games. Your choice."

Welcome, former and new readers! This will be a sequel to Infectious, my other SYOT, and there will be many references to that story as such, though you need not have read it to read this one. Form is on my profile at the very top, though I will not formally accept tributes until the Games have been started in Infectious. As for now, please, submit away. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

- J