"10." Annabeth looked around for supplies. "9." There was a knife and a pack 10 yards in front of her. "8." Was it worth risk? Or should she just run. "7." Which direction should she run? "6." All the streets looked the same. "5." Should she find Percy? Other people? "4." She took a deep breath. "3." Positioned her feet to run towards the pack. "2." Glanced behind her to memorize her escape route. "1." Narrowed her eyes. The gong went off.

Annabeth threw herself into a sprint to the pack, heart pounding, ignoring the chaos all around her. She tossed the pack over her shoulders, snagged the knife, then took a second to analyze her surroundings.

The Cornucopia was a mess, the careers at the center trying to kill as many as possible. Annabeth watched as Thalia picked up a bow, nocked an arrow, and meticulously aimed it at her. A thrill of feat shot through her as she whirled around and sprinted down the street, her feet pounding on the pavement. An arrow whistled over her shoulder and shattered a window to her right. Annabeth glanced desperately around for cover on the wide street. An alleyway, 50 yards ahead.

Annabeth poured on speed, her legs starting to burn, and then flung herself into the ally. She slowed to a walk and leaned against the building to catch her breath. She had to put more distance between herself and the Cornucopia, but the wide streets were too open and too risky. She froze. Voices were approaching but she couldn't tell which end of the ally they were coming from. Annabeth whirled around, her feet unsure where to run. Then two hands grabbed her and yanked her through a door into the building she just leaned against.

Annabeth twisted in her captor's grip, grabbed her knife, and pressed it against the throat of her attacker.

"Who the hell- Piper," she growled. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right here."

Piper squirmed uncomfortably under her knife. "I just saved your life," she hissed, "and you have to shut up right now."

Annabeth frowned. "What-"

Piper clapped her hand over Annabeth's mouth and then she heard the voices.

"She went down this ally"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, Clarisse, I almost shot her."

"Well, I'm sure she didn't get too far, let's keep going."

The footsteps faded, leaving Annabeth and Piper in silence.

"Annabeth," Piper said, "if I wanted to kill you, I would have let the careers have you. Will you please put the knife down?"

Annabeth reluctantly lowered her knife.

"Fine. But now we're even." She stepped towards the door. "Good bye, Piper."

"Wait!" Piper grabbed her arm. "You can't go out there right now! We have to wait for nightfall."

Annabeth tore her arm away. "There is no we. You saved my life, I didn't kill you. I don't want an ally. And if I did, it wouldn't be you."

She thought briefly of Percy, he was too smart to be caught up in the blood bath at the cornucopia but she had no idea if he was ok. A pang of worry shot through her chest.

"Annabeth, I get it," Piper said, "but face it, our odds are better together. You're a fighter, I'm a planner. We'd make a good team."

Annabeth stared into Piper's eyes. For some reason it felt really hard to say no.

"Fine! Fine." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "So what do we do until nightfall?"

Piper grinned. "Explore the building of course."

After the 12th flight of stairs, Annabeth was ready to collapse. The building was eerily silent, every labored breath and footfall was painfully loud. So far, they had found nothing; some floors were completely devoid of anything, others had offices complete with computers and desks. On the 6th floor, Piper had picked up a framed photo of a man and two kids and a mug still full of coffee, as if the desk's occupant had just stepped out.

"Here we are!" Piper said, jolting Annabeth to the present, "floor 13."

A big 13 was painted on the steel door, just like all the others.

"Let's see what fresh hell we discover here," grumbled Annabeth as she shoved the door open.

Floor 13 was just like the rest; large white florescent lights buzzed overhead, empty desks stood in straight lines, and the same square windows overlooked an intersection below. Piper sighed.

"I thought this one would be different."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute, it is."

She pointed to a group of filing cabinets.

"Those weren't on any other floors, were they?"

Piper laughed out loud. "You're right!"

She opened a drawer, and pulled a package out with a big grin. "Jerky!"

Annabeth and Piper sat across from each other against a window, chewing the jerky and dried fruit and sipping from water bottles they found in the bottom drawer.

"What all is in your pack?" Piper asked.

"Nothing much," Annabeth said, "some rope, a blanket, and a box of matches."

"Better than what I got. I just ran."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "That was probably the smarter move. I would have been dead if you hadn't."

"Maybe. But I bet not. You know I always wanted you as my ally."

Annabeth stopped chewing. "Really?"

"Yeah. I saw your fight with Reyna. I see the way you carry yourself. You're a fighter, Annabeth. I saw it the day of the reaping. And I'm betting everyone else saw it too."

Annabeth gazed out at the caramel sunset illuminating the buildings. "Huh."

They finished the meal in silence, and packed up the rest of the food in Annabeth's pack.

"Annabeth, look!" Piper said, pointing out the window.

The capitol anthem began to play and the seal appeared in the sky. The faces of the dead were about to appear. Annabeth found herself desperately wishing Percy wasn't one of them. Kayla from district 3 was the first to appear. A simple a headshot. Then Zoë, Michael, Mitchell, Dakota, and Gwen.

Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief. No Percy. She glanced over at Piper, a single tear ran down her face. Mitchell was her district partner.

"Sorry, Piper," she said awkwardly, "we're you two... close?" Piper shook her head.

"We were barely even friends. But he was from home." She turned away. "Look it's almost dark, I think it's time to move."

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah." She gazed out the window, the streets were lit, but dimly. "I think it is."