Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Seventy-five years ago, thirteen Districts rebelled against the Capitol. They paid the price for doing so. District Thirteen was completely obliterated. The Capitol started an annual televised event. They called it, 'The Hunger Games'.

Every year as a consequence for their actions, each of the remaining twelve Districts had to send one boy and one girl to the Capitol. From there, the Capitol would throw the twenty-four teenagers into an arena to fight to the death. Only would would come out alive.

They would call it a victory, but everyone knows that no one ever wins the Games. They only survive it.74 people have survived the Hunger Games. And the time of year has come again. A new victor will be arising from the pool of teenagers.

Ladies, gentlemen, non-binary and more, this is the 75th Annual Hunger Games.

~~~

The day before the Reaping seemed like an ordinary one for most. However, everyone knew it wouldn't be an ordinary day. How could it be, with the Quarter Quell announcement coming on later that night?

What could the Capitol possibly take from them this time? An all-Victors Games? That would be a relief to the ordinary people of Panem, but not to the Victors. Alas, it was not that, but they would soon find that out.

For now, everyone had to the savor the last moments of bliss before the world came crashing down on them again. Like it does every single year.

People often wonder what it would be like to have a year without the Hunger Games. Wouldn't that be something?

District Two

Eat. Sleep. Drink. Kill. Repeat.

Those words have been embedded into Nikita's brain ever since she started training at the Academy to become a Career. Of course, not all those who train get the privilege to volunteer. To make their name be remembered forever.

The Academy only sends those who are eighteen (and if you were lucky, seventeen), but Nikita doesn't want to miss the opportunity to compete in a Quarter Quell! The girl tribute that was supposed to volunteer was named Callista Quill.

But she won't get the chance. Not if Nikita has anything to do with it. She was so lost in thought that she forgot she was in the middle of a fight with Bretman, a fellow Career. "You know, if Manny wasn't volunteering, I'd come too you know," he said.

She parried his blow. "A shame you're gonna miss it. It would be so much fun!"

"Mhmm. You and Manny gonna team up during the Games?" he asked as Nikita tried to swing her sword at him, but he dodged the blow. Thankfully, most of the weapons they used at the Academy were blunt so it wouldn't injure the Careers.

"Of course, I mean, there's strength in numbers. Imagine all the kills we could get together!" she answered with glee. "I'm hoping for about five during the Bloodbath."

"Girl, please. You know we can kill ten," a third voice joked and the two turned to the voice. "We can, but we don't want to take our competition out too quickly. Then it won't be any fun."

"True, true. You probably shouldn't talk about you going into the Games. Someone's gonna overhear and you know how news flies around here," Manny advised, machete slung over shoulder.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Are we wrapping up soon?" Manny nodded. "Yeah, we're gonna be done in like fifteen minutes. Carry on with your fight, chicas. I'll be over there with Callista."

Nikita refrained from rolling her eyes at the mention of the name. "See you afterwards, Manny?" Bretman asked as the Career walked away. "You know where to find me!"

Later, the three of them decided to walk back to their houses together. "Tomorrow's going to be wild," Manny commented, running his hand through his hair.

"I mean, do you expect any less from a Quarter Quell? Of course it's gonna be wild, " Bretman retorted.

"I can't believe it. The two of us, Manny and I, tributes for a Quarter Quell," Nikita said. "We'll certainly be a dastardly duo."

"Nobody can stop us," Manny agreed half-jokingly and the two friends high-fived.

"If we could, we would've totally raised a glass to that," Bretman joked and the three of them laughed. "Well, I can," Manny replied. "But no one's drinking the night before the Reaping. That would be stupid."

District Three

Tyler (W) was walking through town square, minding his own business when a certain someone decided to catch him off-guard and leap onto his back. He stumbled on his own feet, nearly toppling over. The District Three boy heard the familiar sound of laughter. "Gotcha!"

"Not funny, Saf. If I had fallen over, you would've too." She snickered, wrapping her legs around his torso, getting comfortable. "How romantic."

"How is falling onto the ground and possibly injuring ourselves romantic?"

"At least we'd be falling together." He scoffed, but couldn't help but smile. "Gosh, you really are something else. But maybe that's why I love you so much."

She groaned. "Alright enough with the sappy stuff already. It makes me sick." Safiya got off his back and went to stand in front of him.

Tyler leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away. Tyler pouted. "Hey."

"You're gonna get lipstick on you."

"Do I look like I care? Since when is kissing my beautiful girlfriend a crime?" Tyler wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her in closer.

Before she could answer, he pressed his lips against hers. Despite her protests from earlier, she kissed back anyway.

"I love you much," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you more."

"Impossible." She giggled. "Wanna fight?" He rolled his eyes and pecked her again.

Tyler wished that he could pause time and stay in the moment for a while longer. Or forever. To avoid the Reaping and stay with her.

But unfortunately, life isn't fair. And it never will be.

~~~

On the other side of Disteict Eva was doing her homework when she noticed someone spying on her from the doorway. Her sister. "Maya?" she asked and then her sister walked in.

"Hi Eva." She had a look of fear on her face. The older sister put her homework away. "You okay? What's wrong?"

Maya sauntered over and Eva wrapped her arms around her little sister, pulling her into a hug. "I'm terrified for tomorrow," Mata confessed.

"Me too, Maya. Me too. But it's your first Reaping, nothing's going to happen to you, I promise." She squashed down the idea of watching her sister die on television.

"But what if-"

"Even if you did, I would volunteer to take your place and come home as a Victor and we can live happily ever after."

Of course, she was sugarcoating all of this. She didn't want to make the situation worse.

"Promise?" Eva sighed. "I promise. Now, go be Mom and Dad's problem, I got some homework to finish."

Eva kissed her sister's cheek and shooed her away, turning her attention to the paper in front of her. But she couldn't focus, with the fear of being Reaped looming over her.

District Eight

In a tailor shop that doubled as Lauren's home, she was working on her latest project for a customer.

Normally, she was very focused and diligent on her work. Today was not a normal day, it seemed. Who could blame her?

She didn't even notice that her hands were shaking. So much that she hadn't realized that she pricked her finger while sewing. And her index finger started bleeding.

Lauren cursed under her breath and got up from her seat. Walking into the kitchen, she looked for a bandaid.

Her mother, who was also in the kitchen, noticed. As Lauren tended to her small injury, her mother remarked, "Ah, you pricked your index finger. That's bad luck."

She tensed up and nearly forgot about the bandaid altogether.

~~~

Andrea (B) was sitting outside, relishing the peace and quiet before the mandatory viewing of the Quell announcement. For who knows what's going to happen? The Capitol likes to taunt them.

She's been having nightmares as of late, of the Games. She'd often dream herself dying the deaths of past tributes. And has been terrified of what her fate is going to be.

As she sulked, Andrea saw Jesse, a neighbor of hers walk by, arm linked with his girlfriend, Tawney.

Both were chatting quietly, anxious looks on their faces. "Quarter Quells are never fun," Tawny murmured.

"I never want to compete in one. Or just any Games in general," Jesse agreed.

"Me neither. I'd hate to watch you die." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Me too. But the chances of that happening are slim. Not impossible, but slim."

Turning her focus away from the young couple, Andrea began to notice how empty the street was.

Usually, it was bustling with activity. But this afternoon, it turned into a ghost street.

Perhaps it was because they were afraid of what was coming next. And wanted a last moment of peace before the cries of mourning filled the streets.

~~~

District Seven

Oli held his breath, staying as still as he could. Drawing his arrow, he watched the unsuspecting prey. As he does so, he notices the ear of the rabbit twitch back slightly.

Before it could scatter out of sight, he fired the arrow into the neck of the creature. Cursing quietly, he approached the now dead rabbit.

Oli was aiming for the eye, but the neck will do. Usually, he would always hit his target, but today he was distracted.

Shaking his head, he put the corpse into his hunting bag. Running through the forest as quickly as he could, Oli tucked his bow under his arm. The quiver of arrows thumped against his back.

He kept an eye out for Peacekeepers, who were surely patrolling the woods. Even if it was a huge risk to hunt, Oli had to put food on the table somehow.

Putting his bow and arrow back, he walked towards the eletric fence, which was coming into view.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, he sighed in relief. It was clear.

~~~

Teala and Sarah watched Oli sneak back into the District, but kept quiet. They understood why he did what he did. Yes, it was illegal and if Peacekeepers found out, he'd probably be beat, but still.

You have to do what you gotta do to survive. They had to applaud him for his bravery.

"Tomorrow is my first Reaping and I'm terrified," Teala admitted. "Don't be. Hardly anyone gets picked their first year," Sarah answered.

"Could still happen."

"Don't be such a pessimist, Teala. Be a little more positive."

Teala sighed. "Okay fine. I'll be a little less pessimistic."

Sarah smiled, satisfied. "Good. Besides, we're from Seven. We do have an advantage compared to other Districts. Even if you were Reaped, you still have a fighting chance."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sarah flipped her hair over her shoulder and started sashaying ahead. "I always am, pal. Now come on, we gotta meet up with Kane and Andre."

Teala rolled her eyes, but chased after her friend.

~~~

District One

"Focus," Destorm snapped. Gabbie scowled. "I'm trying, but you won't shut the hell up. So do me a favor and zip those lips, will ya?"

She managed to trip him and pin him to the ground, knife to throat. "I win," she boasted, giving him a triumphant smile. He huffed, annoyed. "I wasn't even trying."

She stuck out her tongue at him childishly, dusting herself off. "You're just mad because I beat you." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Still. We need to prepare for the worse. The other tributes won't care how they kill us. As long as we die, they're happy."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Not like I've been told that my whole life." He scoffed, crossing his arms. "One more round?"

She shook her head, walking towards her bag. "I'm meeting up with Tana in a few. Besides, we've already stayed back long enough. We're ready for tomorrow. I mean come on, we're Careers!"

Destorm sighed, but agreed. "Fine. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."

~~~

"I can't believe you're competing in a Quarter Quell," Tana sighed, taking a seat on her bed. Tana's house doubled as a jewelry shop. "Me neither and I honestly can't wait," Gabbie answered, fiddling with the jewelry Tana kept on her vanity.

"Do you think you'll be able to kill Destorm if it came down to it?" The Career flinched, putting the jewelry down. "I don't know... I mean, he's one of my best friends..."

"But winning comes first?" her friend finished, having a look of disapproval on her face. "As much as I hate to say it, yes. It's me or him. And I want to live a nice and long life, thank you very much."

"I'm so glad I don't have to compete in the Quarter Quell. A regular Games is already enough of a nightmare. What do you think the 'special twist' is going to be?" Tana asked and Gabbie shrugged. "It can't be like the other Quarter Quells, so I guess we'll see."

"But if it was something like an all Victor's Games, would you flip?" The Career laughed. "Absolutely. Most of them are too old to be fit to compete anyway."

~~~

District Eleven

JC was staring out the window, vibing to music on his record player. Ironically, 'If I Die Young' started playing, causing him to tense up.

For three reasons: The Reaping, the possibility of dying and the memories of a loved one those damn Games. One of his best friends... one of his best friends died in the Games a few years ago. And ever since, he's had a specific hate for District Three.

Corey was electrocuted to death in the 73rd Hunger Games. And the trap was set up by a District Three tribute, who died later anyway. It's what she deserved. So every year, JC has to be reminded of his best friend's death. It still didn't feel real.

He was so young, too young. Had so much life to live. And it was taken away from his clutches. Because of the stupid Hunger Games and District Three.

~~~

"I miss him. Sometimes I wish there was a way we could avenge him," Kian confessed.

Chelsey gave him a look of disapproval. "You're not thinking about-"

"I've thought about it,"Kian answered.  Chesley looked like she was about to slap him. "Are you insane?"

"Well, we'd be saving another kid," Kian argued. "Plus, if we win we could bring pride to our District! Eleven hasn't had a winner in so long. Eleven would have some respect. We'd avenge Corey!"

"But self-respect is so much better! We're our worst critics, Kian. Who cares about what the rest of the country thinks about us?" she scolded, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ugh, you sound like JC."

She cracked a small smile. "Maybe I'm rubbing off him. But seriously Kian, don't do it. I can't lose another friend."

He sighed. "Fine. I won't do it, I promise."

She glared at him. "Better keep your word on that."

~~~

GloZell heard the songs of the mockingjays throughout the orchard, signaling the end of the work day. Letting out a sigh of relief, she slowly prepared to go home.

A few minutes later, GloZell passed by the trees and saw the mockingjays in their nests. They were happily chirping their usual songs. One even flew out of the nest and soared into the air.

As her brown eyes followed the bird, she whispered aloud, "I wonder what it's like to be free like these little guys."

Whistling a few notes, she noticed the mockingjays stopped their singing for a few moments. Then sang her notes back to her.

"What is this Disney Princess shiz?" GloZell laughed, turning away from them.

She trudged her way home as the late afternoon soon seared on her back.

~~~

District Six

Sierra brushed her hair in the mirror, mind flurrying with thoughts. It sounded silly and vain, but sometimes brushing her hair helped her untangle pent-up thoughts.

Being the Mayor's daughter, she saw that the mansion would be bustling with activity to prepare for the Reaping.

So she had locked herself in her room to avoid it all. But now she wondered if that was a good idea. Now she was alone with her thoughts. A little too alone.

Being twelve this year, it would be her first Reaping. Just because she had one slip in the bowl, it didn't make her feel any better. Even if she was Reaped, no one would volunteer for her. Not many people are willing to give their life for another. Sierra didn't have many friends to begin with. Or real friends at least.

Most people would try and befriend her only for her status. To them, she was Sierra Furtado, the Mayor's daughter. But she just felt like Sierra. She felt like any other kid in District Six, but wasn't treated that way. 

Putting the brush down, she put her head in her hands. "I can't wait for tomorrow to be over," she said to no one in particular.

~~~

Tim came home and saw that the 74th Hunger Games was being shown on the television. He cringed, wanting to turn it off. He saw a familiar figure flash on the screen. Katniss Everdeen, the winner of last year's Games. Or, for the avid watcher, the Girl on Fire.

Speaking of fire, it seemed that the Games were at the part where Katniss was quite literally on fire. Or rather, her pant leg was. Walking over to the television, he turned it off and wondered why the hell it was even on. 

Tim didn't wanted to be reminded that the big day was tomorrow. He's already been told enough times and doesn't need to reminiscence it again. Relieved that it was off, he shook his head, murmuring, "Crap, the Quell announcement's tonight."

So much for ignoring what was coming to Panem tomorrow. It's hard to escape. No one truly escapes it, whether you're a tribute, a Victor, a loved one of a tribute or merely a spectator. 

The Capitol always wins... or does it? 

~~~

Daniel turned his own TV off, unable to watch what was being showcased any longer. "Who in the right mind volunteers to go die?" he grumbled. Then again, he understood why people did. The Careers did it for the glory, everyone else volunteers to save another. The latter will forever be a better person than he will be.

It sounded selfish, but Daniel would never volunteer for the Games. He didn't want to die young and plus, this year was his last Reaping, being eighteen. There was a long road ahead of him, even if he was trapped in District Six for the rest of his life.

Daniel often wondered what it was like in the other Districts, even the Capitol. How can those Capitol citizens sit on their bums and eat cake at home while people struggle to even survive out here? Do they not know? Are they that ignorant?

Or do they choose to put on rose-colored glasses and ignore it all? Daniel laughed bitterly. Those who were born in the Capitol were so damn lucky. They don't have to worry about a thing. Their biggest problem probably was picking an outfit for the next party. 

Oh how he would love to give the Capitol a reality check. A taste of their own medicine. But alas, he couldn't. Not while he was stuck here. 

~~~

District Four

Alex smirked as Liza struggled. He didn't enjoy hurting her, but if it was going to help her prepare for the Quell, it was what he had to do. Besides, it's not like they can stay friends forever. The Games only allowed one winner after all.

"Come on, Elizabeth. You can do better," he teased. She snapped her eyes to him at the use of her full first name. Liza broke out of her grip and hit him full force, knocking him to the ground. Alex let out a groan of pain, reaching out to his head. And found some blood.

"You made me bleed." 

"Oh stop acting like a child. It's just a little blood. Not as bad as the injuries you might face in the Games." Alex went to attack her again, but she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. She pushed him to the floor, foot on back.

"I win!" she chirped. Alex frowned and answered, "Damnit." 

"Aren't you going to say I did a good job?" Alex scoffed. "That was alright." Liza punched him in the arm. "Okay fine. That was great. You ready for tomorrow?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She grinned. "Come on, Roi's been waiting for us." 

~~~

"I remember when you used to say that you'd never become a Career because you can't imagine killing innocent kids, but here you are. A Career about to volunteer for a Quarter Quell, " Roi mused at the paradox. 

"Yeah, but you know why we're both doing it. We need the money," Alex replied. "I know... but I wish there was another way you know? I don't want to watch my best friends kill people without mercy. And know that one of you has to die in there." 

"Yeah, I get that. To be honest with you, I don't think I'm going to kill that many people. I don't want it weighing on my conscious," Liza admitted and her fellow Career nodded. "Yeah, unlike One and Two. Speaking of One and Two, do you really want to join the Career pack?"

"Yeah, why not? There's strength in numbers. Why, do you not want to?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Not really, but I guess we'll see who the tributes from One and Two will be."

"Hopefully not someone who rips out tribute's throats with their teeth." Liza shuddered. Roi frowned. "Are you talking about Enobria from Two?" Roi questioned and she nodded. 

"She creeps me out." Roi nodded, agreeing with her. "She does, but I guess that's a side effect of being a Capitol lapdog." 

~~~

District Nine

"Matt, you're doing it wrong," Rosanna said, putting her whisk down. He frowned, getting defensive. "No I'm not." 

She eyed the lumpy mixture with disdain. Ro, Matt and Stephanie were making cupcakes... because why not? Stephanie snorted, looking at it as well. 

"Yes you are Matt. That is not how you make cupcakes. It's all lumpy. You really are the worst baker ever."

He gasped, putting a hand over his heart as if she stabbed him with a knife. "Rude! I'm hurt that you would say such a thing to the love of your life, Steph. You take that back." His girlfriend rolled her eyes and he narrowed his own. 

She crossed her arms. "Make me."  

"Oh no..." Rosanna squeaked, not liking where this was going. "Fine then. Be that way." Matt grabbed a bag of flour and threw it all over her face. "Hey!" she yelled, grabbing an egg and cracking it on his head.

"OH COME ON PEOPLE! DON'T MAKE A MESS OF THIS KITCHEN!" Rosanna screeched. "WE MAKE CUPCAKES ONE TIME. ONE TIME. AND THIS HAPPENS." She banged her head on the kitchen counter. "Now I know why I don't let them bake."

~~~

Later, the three went out to enjoy one last sunset before the horrors of the Games would start coming, ruining their little bubble. The skies of District Nine were painted with hues of pink and orange. And as time wore on, it slowly turned blue and black. 

Stephanie leaned her head on Matt's shoulder, taking in the view. "I wish tomorrow didn't have to come," Rosanna admitted, watching the couple in the corner of her eye. She felt like a third wheel, but she didn't really mind.

"Me too, but I think we'll be okay," Matt replied. Stephanie's hand inched towards his. "How are you so sure?" 

"I'm not, but it's nice to have a little hope, doesn't it?" Rosanna nodded, understanding best of all. She always saw the best in things, even in the darkest of times. 

"I'm going back home. Don't stay out too late. Quell announcement's coming on in an hour or so," Ro warned Matt and Stephanie. "Especially you Matthew."

"Okay called out," Matt remarked as Rosanna slowly disappeared from his sight. He turned to Stephanie. "You know I love you not matter what happens tomorrow right?" Stephanie asked and he nodded.

"I do." 

"Good." She leaned in to kiss him. One last moment of peace before the world came crashing down on them. But neither knew that quite yet.

~~~

Justine picked at her food, not feeling hungry at all. The nerves took over her feeling of hunger. "Why aren't you eating, Justine?" her little sister, Jenna asked, frowning. 

Being only two years younger than her, Jenna was pretty sheltered. Her mother and father often had to cover her eyes though, not wanting to give her little sister nightmares. She found it sickening that kids had to watch people get killed on television. 

Scratch that, she found it sickening that anyone would have to watch that. Why is the Capitol so twisted? Murder is never okay, so why is it entertainment.

"I just feel a little unwell, that's all," Justine answered.

The child frowned, eyebrows furrowed together as she swung her legs under the table, feet barely touching the ground. "Okay. Well then I hope you feel better soon!" She smiled at and Justine tried her best to force a smile. "Thanks, Jenna."

~~~

Matt (H) was taking a walk to clear his head before the Quell announcement. He didn't know where he was going, he just let his feet lead him. His eyes were pinned to the ground and suddenly everything on the ground became interesting. 

Suddenly, he felt someone bumped into his shoulder. Matt looked up, meeting a brown pair of eyes.  "Watch where you're going, Haag. Keep your eyes up, will you?" Lele hissed, brushing past him.

He rolled his eyes and scoffed when she was out of ear-shot. For some reason, that girl's always had a bone to pick with him. Matt didn't even know what he did! Yet he couldn't help but treat her with hostility right back.

He wished that she would just leave him alone, there was no reason for her to be so antagonistic to him. Some days he wished that she would just disappear from existence, as bad as that sounded.

Or even better, Matt could get the hell out of here and live as far away from her as possible. 

~~~

District Ten

Colleen, Shane and Garett were just sitting in awkward silence as they watched the Games on the television in Colleen's house. All of a sudden, memories of seeing this in their own homes live last year hit them in the face.

District Ten hardly stood a chance when it comes to the Games, but last year they thought they had some hope. Well, the girl died in the Bloodbath, but the guy lasted for like a week. But then he died.

And that was that. Currently, they were watching the Feast, cringing at how Clove tried to carve Katniss' lips out. "Alright that's enough," Colleen said. "Why were we even watching that?" Garett asked.

"I don't even know. You two should head home, you know how Peacekeepers are with people being out after dark. Sun's setting and will disappear under the horizon any second." 

"Yeah it's 'discouraged'," Shane replied in a mocking voice. Colleen gave him a playful glare. "Yes, but the Quell annoucement's tonight. Mandatory viewing in all households. Now shoo. Get out of my house."

"Okay, rude," Garett scoffed and she grinned, before ushering them out and slamming the door on their faces. 

~~~

District Twelve

Andrea (R) was practicing her shooting in the Woods, wanting to savor any minute of being in the comforts of the woods. It was thrilling being out here, she felt a little freer. "Turns out I'm not the only one who sneaks out here after all," a voice said and Andrea whirled around.

"Oh, hi Katniss." She smiled at the Victor, but she didn't smile back. It wasn't meant to be a hostile action, it was the way Katniss was. "I'm surprised you still come out here after the Games. Figured you could afford anything you want."

"Nothing beats fresh game. Plus, I wanted a little escape before you know." Katniss gulped, looking nervous. Andrea nodded, understanding. This year was going to be the young Victor's first year of being a mentor.

A lot of pressure, considering she's probably been wondering which kid she has to mentor and make sure doesn't die. "You know, I get why Haymitch drinks all of the time now," Katniss cracked.

~~~

Scott and Tyler (O) were sitting in the Meadow, hanging out with Kirstin, Matt (S), Kevin and Mitch. 

"Are you, are you, coming to the tree?" Scott sang under his breath. "Oh come on. Please don't start another singing marathon," Tyler groaned.

"They strung up a man, they say who murdered three, " the other five sang. Tyler sighed and said, "Damnit."

"Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be." 

"Okay can you guys stop singing that song? It's creepy and I don't want to be reminded that two kids are gonna die within the next month." 

They exchanged glances and started singing, "Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Joleeenneeee."

"Okay, I'm going home now. Goodbye b*tches." Tyler got up and fled for his life. 

~~~

Then came the time for the Quell announcement. Katniss and Haymitch were watching in the latter's house in Victor's Village. Turning on the television, it was not President Snow who appeared on the screen, but rather President Graceffa.

President Joseph Graceffa, often called Joey, took over last year after President Snow had passed away. And he wasn't any better. But thankfully, he wasn't any worse. The young President of Panem grinned at the camera, a sinister look in his eyes. 

"Citizens of Panem! This is the moment we've been anticipating for so long. The Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games has arrived! The Third Quarter Quell will beginning tomorrow! And tonight, I will be announcing our special little twist!"

There was a loud cheer. Clearly the Capitol was very excited for this. "Who would cheer for this?" Katniss asked incredulously. She couldn't fathom why people cheered for child slaughter.

A young Capitol boy walked over to President Graceffa, a box in hand. The president opened it and pulled out an envelope with a '75' written on the front in neat handwriting. 

"How many do they have planned?" Katniss asked in disgust. Haymitch shrugged, chugging the drink in his hand. He's gonna need the booze tonight. Even if it may or may not come back to bite his ass tomorrow.

"For the Third Quarter Quell, as a price to pay for the lives lost in the Rebellion, each District must send in an extra tribute in addition to the usual boy and girl tribute. The extra tribute can be either gender. And the name slips will be doubled." 

"Three tributes?" Haymitch asked, recalling his own Games that occurred twenty-five years ago. It was also a Quarter Quell. Four tributes were drawn that year, but the genders were even. Two girls, two boys. But now it won't be.

He remembered how he made an alliance with Maysailee Donner, a friend of Mrs. Everdeen. And sister of the Mayor's wife. And how she died in his arms. He was also the only living Victor that won a Quell.

Haymitch threw a glass at the screen, but the image merely glitched for a moment before returning back to it's normal state. It shattered into pieces on the floor. He didn't even bother picking it up.

"Who do they think they are? To send even more kids to their death?" he growled, reaching for a new glass and pouring another drink. He chugged it and saw Katniss sipping a glass herself. "It's the Capitol, do you expect them to play nice?"

"That means we have to train three kids now, Katniss. Now you have to live with the fact that at least two of the kids you see tomorrow are gonna die." 

She flinched and looked down. "Do you ever look at a kid and wonder if you're ever gonna have to mentor them for a Game?"

"Yes, I do. Welcome to the life of being a Victor Katniss. This is what we get for winning and killing."

Chapter Text

The day the country of Panem's dreaded all year long has arrived. The Reaping. Today was the day where not two, but three kids from each District will be sent to the Capitol. Thrown into an arena. And fight until one is left.

36 will enter. Only 1 will live. People are already making their bets and the Reaping hasn't even started yet! They're all betting on District 1, 2 or 4 taking the crown home, as they always do. But who knows? Maybe the tributes from the other Districts will surprise them.

District One

The morning of the Reaping, Gabbie put a kettle and a frying pan on the stove, turning it on. She poured olive oil into the pan.

As soon as the kettle boiled and the pan sizzled, Gabbie put in a few sausages in the pan and a few cups to make herbal tea. After a few minutes, the sausages finished and she put them on small plates. Opening the cupboard, she took out day-old bread and started slicing up generous portions.

Sighing, she knew she had to make the most of her last meal with her family before the Games.

"Breakfast is ready!" she shouted.

About an hour or so later, after hastily eating breakfast and getting ready for the Reaping, Gabbie walked towards town square, leaving her home. Hopefully, she'll return once more in a few weeks.

"Do us proud my girl! We'll see you later!" Gabbie's mother chimed as she separated from her to walk towards the town square.

Soon after, Gabbie met up with a few friends. "The day's finally arrived," Destorm, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"You're both going to do really well. I'm sure of it," Tana cheered with an encouraging smile. The Career girl smiled back.

"Thanks Tana. Who do you think is going to be the third tribute? The Academy only sent two. Is another Career gonna volunteer?"

The Career boy shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "Who knows? We'll find out soon."

~~~

"Happy Hunger Games and Quarter Quell everyone! May the odds ever be in your favor!" the District One escort beamed. Her name was Leto Lykaois. Her bright blue locks were twisted into curls that hung by her shoulder. Her eye lids were painted a shimmery silver and lips were glossed. The escort wore a blue dress that stretches to the floor.

"Today we will be selecting our tributes for the glorious honor of competing in the Hunger Games! Without further ado, let's get started. And as always, ladies first!"

Most of the crowd had neutral expressions on their faces, but a couple of faces were brimming with excitement as Leto walked over to the three bowls that contained names. One for the boys, one for the girls and one for both genders.

She stuck her hand into the bowl, sifting through the thousands of slips. Finally, she picked a name, though she knew it didn't matter. There was always a volunteer anyway. "Gemma-" Leto started.

"I volunteer!" a female voice shouted.

See? Always a volunteer somewhere.

"An eager beaver aren't we? Come on up, darling!" Leto shouted and the girl stepped up in a confident stride. The Career held herself high as she approached the stage.

"What's your name?" Leto questions cheerfully. Perhaps a little too cheerfully if you ask any normal citizen.

"Gabbie. Gabbie Hanna." The District One girl flashed a grin at the flashing cameras. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Thank you Gabbie. And now for our boy tribute!" The Capitol citizen hobbled over to the next bowl that contained the male slips and picked the name on top.

She cleared her throat for dramatic effect. "Topaz Whiteblossom."

"I volunteer!" an older boy yelled calmly and evenly, raising his hand. "Another Career! How exciting!"

He sauntered casually towards Leto as children scampered out of the way, slightly intimidated by his cold demeanor.

The escort grinned at him, but he didn't smile back. "Name and age, honey?"

"Destorm Power. I'm eighteen."

"Thank you and good luck, Destorm. Now for the special tribute, our wildcard tribute!"

There was a stiff silence as Leto picked out the final name. No one was sure if there would be a third volunteer or not.

Though three Careers from the same District in one year is a little much. Especially since it was only announced last night that there would be three tributes!

"Tana Mongeau!" Leto announced and a girl, who was presumably Tana, gasped.

To the right of the escort, Gabbie stiffened, a look flashing in her eyes. Destorm briefly glanced at her, a frown appearing on his face for a brief second.

"Hello Tana! How old are you, dear?"

Tana's was trembling, unable to believe her luck. Or lack of it. Tears brimmed her eyes, but she blinked them away.

She didn't want to be seen as weak and have a target painted on her back. Taking a deep breath, she stammered, "S-sixteen."

"Great! Now that our three tributes have been selected, that concludes this year's District One Reapings! Give it up for Gabbie Hanna, Destorm Power and Tana Mongeau!"

~~~

District Two

Bretman hurried down the stairs, the smell of pancakes wafting through the house. He exhaled, looking around. He was going to miss this place, even though he was pretty confident he'd back it back. You never know though, so Bretman tried to not get too cocky.

"I can't believe you have to go today, I'm not ready," his little sister, Princess Mae said, frowning. "I know sis, but I have to. Besides, you know I'll try my hardest to come back here."

"Even at the costs of your best friend's lives? Who have been with you through the highs and lows of your life?"

He flinched, but didn't answer. Nikita and Manny agreed that they would have a fair fight if it came down to it, but did that apply to him as well? He hasn't even told them that he's planning on volunteering today.

Later, he stepped out of his home and saw Nikita and Manny in the distance. Running to catch up with them, he squeezed himself in between them. "Today's the big day," he declared and they grinned.

"The moment we've been waiting for," Manny answered. "The Reaping," Nikita finished.

"You know, my parents originally told me that I'm not allowed to volunteer until I'm eighteen. Then they changed their minds last night," Bretman mused, getting into step with Nikita and Manny. His friends exchanged shocked looks, but didn't comment.

"There'll probably be a clamor of Careers waiting to volunteer. This is District Two, where everyone wants to be a part of the Hunger Games," Manny joked.

"Yeah, a shame we'll be losing extra time. My parents said they'd start paying my trainer double next year so I would be unstoppable by the time I turn eighteen. But that's not happening anymore," Nikita said ruefully, eyes locked on the Justice building.

"Except for me, you mean. It's my last year." She shoved her friend playfully. "I was referring to Bretman and I, dumbass."

~~~

"Good day District Two and Happy Hunger Games!" the District Two escort, Vesta Velis began in a nasal voice.

The District Two escort was tall, blonde and slender, skin painted a shimmering white so it would glisten in the sun. Her eyes were a light green, matching almost everything else about her.

"As you all know by now, this year is the Seventy-Fifth Annual Hunger Games, meaning that this is the Third Quarter Quell. So a reminder that there will be three tributes, not two. May the odds ever be in your favor!"

She approaches the Reaping bowls and digs into the one closest to her. Holding it up in the air for all to see, Vesta unfolded it.

"Artemis-"

"I volunteer!"

It takes a moment for everyone to realize who exactly said those words. For it was certainly not the right Career. This girl was too young.

Then the outraged comments began as she strode forward, ignoring it all.

"What are you doing? You weren't elected by the trainers! It was me!" Callista sneered, furious. Yet there was nothing she could do. Both fates were sealed.

"Who does she think she is?"

"What the hell is she doing?"

"Why did she do that?"

Vesta's smile faltered for a second, but then it brightened once more. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Name and age?"

"Nikita Dragun, fifteen."

"Thank you Nikita, but may I ask why you volunteered at such a young age?"

"Age is just a number. I'm just as capable as everyone else, if not better."

Nikita smiled at the cameras before sashaying away. The escort turned to the crowd, getting back on track. "Moving on to our boy tribute!"

The escort picked out a random name and said, "Orion Gaius-"

"I volunteer!"

Thankfully, this time it seemed to be the right Career. "Hooray, another volunteer! Come over!"

The Career walked onto the stage and Vesta asked, "Hello dear. What's your name and age?"

"My name Manny Gutierrez and I'm eighteen."

As she picked out a third names, she cheered, "Fabulous! And for our final tribute! The third and final representative for District Two is..." she paused as the crowd grew more attentive. "Gunner Smith-"

"I volunteer!"

Vesta let out a gasp. "Three volunteers? What a lovely surprise!"

The last and final Career got on stage as the escort inquired, "What is your name and age?"

"Bretman Rock, fifteen."

She tried not to frown as he stated his age. He seemed to notice, but didn't seem bothered by it.

Another fifteen-year-old Career? What is this madness?

She continued on with the closing. "Marvelous! A round of applause for District Two's three tributes, Nikita Dragun, Manny Gutierrez and Bretman Rock!"

~~~

District Three

"Promise me something," Safiya said as they were walking towards town square. He gave her a confused look, but nodded. "Anything for you, my love."

"Promise me you won't volunteer and go after me if I'm Reaped. I don't know what I'd do if you died," Safiya begged and Tyler frowned. "But-"

She put a hand over his mouth. "Promise me... please..." She removed her hand and he sighed. "I promise."

"Good." Safiya cupped his face and pecked him. "Let's go, we don't want to be late." Tyler laced his fingers with her and squeezed her hand.

"You know I only agreed to that promise because chances of you being picked are one in three thousand three hundred and ninety chances of that happening, right? And that's rounding the decimals." She stared at him, mouth agape.

"Did you just calculate all of that-"

"Last night? Yeah."

"You're unbelievable, but I love you."

"I love you too, but you're one to talk. You read manuscripts depicting the rebellion and the economic consequences that it had on Panem."

She rolled her eyes, but kissed him on the cheek, leaning her head on his shoulder.

~~~

Maya was staring off into the distance again and Eva asked, "Maya? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"I'm nervous. What if they pick me?" Maya fretted and Eva stopped abruptly in her tracks, putting her hands on her sister's shoulders. "They're not going to pick you, Maya. You only have one slip. Even if you were, remember what I said last night?"

The younger sister nodded and the two sisters kept strolling through the streets of District Three, but then questioned, "Why would anyone willingly go into the Games?"

"Fame, I guess? You do become well-known for your bravery, wit or strength. Or perhaps it's because you want to protect someone from death."

Eva had been so distracted with answering that she almost bumped into someone. Er, someones. "Sorry!" she apologized.

"No need to apologize. Good luck today," a girl who Eva knew was Safiya answered, offering her a smile. "Or as they say in the Capitol, may the odds ever be in your favor," Tyler added and the couple turned away.

She couldn't help but notice their intertwined hands and how tightly both were holding onto each other.

As if scared to let go and for what was to come next.

~~~

"Hello District Three! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds ever be in your favor!" the District Three escort, Calliope Cosmos said with fake enthusiasm. The crowd was probably aware that she wasn't exactly the Games' biggest fan no matter how much she tried to hide it.

She hasn't done anything though, so President Graceffa hasn't done anything to her. But she knew that one wrong move and she was deader than dead. She was horse meat.

Compared to the other escorts, Calliope prefered to dress more simply. She wore a frilly dark purple dress, with strappy platforms that were a pale shade of gold. Her black hair cascaded in waves down to her ribs. Most Capitol citizens found her odd. The people of Panem found her a fresh breeze of air.

"Now is the time for me to draw the female tribute that will represent District Three." She plucks a paper from the bowl and opened it, a slight tremble in her hands. Everyone was too far away to be able to see it though.

"Sofia Nygaard."

A girl from the eighteen-year-old section steps forward, yanking her hand out of a boy's hand. From what she saw, Calliope assumed they were lovers. "No!" he cried as she walked up towards the stage.

"It's actually pronounced Safiya. Just like how it's spelled," the girl corrected and the escort gave her a contrite smile. "My apologies, Safiya. How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

At least it's not a twelve-year-old.

"Thank you Safiya. Now for the male tribute."

She goes to the bowl that contained the male names and picked up one from the top, trying not to cringe. The escort had to remind herself that she was on television.

And that he was watching her. "Packard-"

"I volunteer!" the same boy from earlier shouted, a hint of desperation in his voice. Safiya let out an audible gasp and muttered something Calliope could barely make out.

It was something along the lines of, 'That f*cking lovable dumbass.'

She smiled weakly and said, "Great. A volunteer. Come on up, child."

Did I just ruin a relationship? If so, great job, Calliope. You've really done it now.

The boy quickly came to the front of the Justice building and she asked, "Your name and age?"

"Tyler. Tyler Williams. And I'm eighteen."

She nodded and tried to smile, but couldn't find herself to be able to."Thank you Tyler. Now for our third and final tribute: the wildcard."

In the corner of her eye, the Capitol citizen saw Tyler hold her hand for a brief moment before Safiya pulled away. Anger radiated off her.

Clearing her throat, Calliope picked the last slip and told the whole country who the final tribute was. "Eva Gutowski."

She saw a girl in the crowd flinch and a quiet cry from somewhere else. "No! Don't take my sister!"

Eva marched forward, eyes fixed ahead and locked on Calliope. A slight look of anger was in her eyes. The escort didn't blame her.

This girl was being sent to her death. No one won the Games at fourteen... unless you were Finnick Odair. Calliope forced a smile and asked, "Hi Eva, can you tell us how old you are?"

"Fourteen." Calliope tried not to cry, as she always does every year. Later though, in the privacy of her train compartment she can.

"Thank you. That concludes this year's Reapings. Again, our tributes are Safiya Nygaard, Tyler Williams and Eva Gutowski."

~~~

District Four

"I'm not ready," Liza confessed. "Even after all these years of training."

Alex snorted. "Is anyone ever ready? Who can truly prepare for a thing like this? Us Careers have an advantage, but we don't really now what's going to happen."

"True, true," Roi murmured, fidgeting. There was still one spot left with Liza and Alex volunteering. There's a slim chance that another Career would volunteer, but there were less Careers in Four compared to One and Two.

So... chances are that someone's just gonna get Reaped. He hoped it wasn't him, but knew not to hope too hard.

Because he could jinx it and he doesn't want that right? Even if he only has 4 slips (not counting tesserae, that's a whole other story).

"You okay?" Liza asked, noticing the distant look on Roi's face. He shook his head and replied honestly, "Who could be, knowing that your death could come sooner than you want it to?"

The two Careers frowned at each other concerned, and put their hands on Roi's back comfortingly. "I think you'll be okay, Roi. There's thousands of kids out here. What are the odds of you being picked?" Alex soothed.

"Well...we can't convince him that he's safe when we all know sometimes the unthinkable happens," Liza replied and her fellow Career glared at her. She raised her hands in surrender, mumbling something about 'just being honest and giving everyone a reality check'.

"And the Friend of the Year award goes to," Alex said sarcastically and Liza smacked him on the arm. "You know I can beat you up before the Games even start like yesterday," she hissed.

"Stop the squabbling guys, we're here," Roi cut in, looking nervously at the stage set up in front of the Justice building. The square was packed with people, with both people that were eligable ad not eligable for Reaping. The three friends had to separate, given that they were all different ages.

Everyone's eyes fell on the Mayor of District Four who walked out of the building, beginning the ceremony of death.

~~~

"Hello District Four! Before I draw these three names, I want to remind you all that even if you don't get the honor of representing District Four this year, there's always next year for most of you!" the escort, Twinkle Tocci began happily.

The plump escort wore a lemony yellow dress that fell to her feet. Unfortunately, it didn't fit quite well on her and looked odd in some areas. Her curlyhair was a mix of yellows with a dash of white and sat on her head like a crown-like hairpiece.

The crowd remained silent, some trying to hide their disdain. To the Capitol, slaughtering children was merely entertainment. It didn't matter to them that the Districts would mourn the tributes all year long and when everyone has finally learned to cope, the cycle starts again. It was sickening, but they couldn't do anything about it.

They were all too afraid of what would happen if they did.

"Now then, we will select the female that will be representing District Four this year!"

She sticks her hand into the large glass bowl and plucks a small slip of paper. Bringing it to eye level, she read, "Coral Hampton!"

"I volunteer!" a girl immediately shouted, waving her hand in the air. She beamed at the volunteer, no doubt a Career. The people standing around the girl parted so the cameras could get a good view of her. She made her way to Twinkle, flashing the cameras a small smile.

"Hello dearie. Can you tell us what your name is and how old you are, please?"

"My name is Liza Koshy and I'm seventeen years old."

"Wonderful! Now for our male tribute! Perhaps District Four will actually have a chance this year if we have another Career!"

The citizens of District Four grumbled at her little comment. The last time they had a winner was 5 years ago, that wasn't too long ago! Even if the winner, Annie Cresta, was a little odd. That was still a winner! Even if they weren't as much of a 'Career District' as One and Two.

"River-"

"I volunteer as tribute!" a boy from the eighteen-year-old section yelled. "Very eager aren't we? How exciting! We have another volunteer!"

The Career boy made his way towards the escort, going up the steps two at a time. "Your name and age, honey?"

"Alex Burris. Eighteen."

"Fantastic! Now for this year's twist: the third tribute! Let's see who the lucky person is!" she said, trying to rally the crowd with no success.

Most wouldn't call it lucky, but-

"Roi Fabito!"

The Careers behind the Capitol woman gasped quietly, as if they knew him. Twinkle ignored them though and said, "Roi? Wherever you are, please come up to the stage!"

Eventually Roi got on stage, looking frightened for his safety. He didn't look like he wanted to be here at all. As if it didn't feel real and he thought it all was a horrible nightmare. Alas, this was his reality. He was officially a Hunger Games tribute.

"How old are you, Roi?"

"Sixteen."

"Stupendous! We have our three tributes, Liza Koshy, Alex Burris and Roi Fabito! Give a hand for our brave young men and woman!"

~~~

District Five

Justine walked through the streets of District Five, fists clenched at her side. She took small and slow steps, trying to prolong getting to the square for as long as she could. Her blue eyes were pinned on the ground, at her shoes. Like they were the only thing that mattered to her right now.

Today was the day she's dreaded for as long as she could remember: her first Reaping. It didn't matter that her name was only in there once, it still unnerved her. She wished she could pause time and live in this moment forever so she could forget these sick and twisted Games existed. 

Unfortunately, she didn't have magical powers so the Reaping was still on. She envied the Capitol children. They were twisted, but at least they didn't have to worry about whether there would be food on the table. They don't have to worry about whether or not they'd be picked for the Hunger Games. No, they don't.

Instead, they get to live in their gilded homes, eat and live lavishly, not a care in the world. Wouldn't it be nice to live like that? To not have to worry about surviving? To not have to worry about money? 

Justine also couldn't help but imagine what would happen if she got picked. She doubted she would win. That's unquestionable, but how long would she really last in there? And how would she die? 

No doubt she could run, she was small and fast. If she were to hypothetically be in the Hunger Games, she hoped she didn't end up in the hands of a Career. 

If she ran into a Career, her death would be painful and merciless death. 

 For the first time since, she looked up and realized that she would be late if she didn't hurry up, she picked up the pace.

"I hate this," she mumbled under breath. Justine hoped no one had heard her. "I hate that this has to happen to anyone."

~~~

"The day we've been fearing all year has come," Hannah sighed, frowning. Lele shrugged. "I don't think they're too bad." 

Her best friend gave her a weird look and she elaborated. "Yeah, the killing part is horrible, but imagine if you won. Food for the kids. Pride for our District. We'd actually be able to provide for our families and not live in poverty." 

Hannah nodded, understanding, but not really agreeing with what Lele said. "I personally think that doesn't outweigh the bad, but you can have your opinion. Who do you think is going to be Reaped from Five this year? Since unlike One, Two and Four, no one volunteers and the kids are forced to fight."

The blonde shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Hopefully no one we know, but I certainly wouldn't mind if he got Reaped." Lele pointed to Matt (H), who was a couple yards in front of them, walking all by himself.

Lele wondered where his loser friends were. Maybe they've finally got to their senses and started avoiding him like the plague. 

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "What's your problem with him, Lele?"

Lele rolled her eyes and sighed. "My problem with him? That he thinks he's all that just because he's smart. It's so... nettlesome." 

"Okay then... well, may the odds ever be in your favor," Hannah said as they got to the square, mimicking a Capitol accent. Lele cracked a smile and elbowed her best friend in the ribs.

~~~

"Welcome, welcome everyone to this year's Reapings! Happy Third Quarter Quell and may the odds ever be in your favor!" squealed the District Five escort, Roxie Rodia. The escort was quite tall and thin, with vibrant orange hair and tattoos covering her left arm. 

"I am very honored to pick our three tributes that will represent District Five in this pagent of bravery, wit and strength! Without further ado, let's start with the ladies, shall we?" Her grin broadened as she chose a slip from the bowl brimming with papers. 

"Our female representative is... Lele Pons!" 

A girl from the fifteen-year-old section shuffled up from the crowd, surprisingly not looking upset at all. Usually, District Five tributes were rather upset that they had to go against big, strong Careers. 

Perhaps this one has potential. Or maybe she's just acting for the cameras.

"Hello, pumpkin. Can you please tell us your age?" 

Lele stepped in front of the microphone."I'm fifteen." 

"Excellent, thank you Lele! Now for the gentlemen! Are you excited?" 

There was an awkward, the citizens not sharing her enthusiasm. Roxie noticed and moved on, picking the lucky winner of this lottery. "Our male representative is... Matt Haag!"

She heard Lele let out something that sounded like a laugh, but the escort ignored it. "Come on up, Matt!" 

Eventually, he stood next to Roxie as she asked, "How old are you, darling?" 

He gulped, looking a little fearful. But he managed to get out, "Fourteen." 

"Magnificent, thank you Matt! Now for our wildcard tribute! And that is..." she picked the third and final name. "Justine Ezarik."

A young girl steps up and the crowd lets out a gasp. Her face turns red as she's trying to fight tears. "Hello Justine. How old are you?"

She mumbles something, but Roxie couldn't hear what she was saying. "What was that, sweetie? Repeat that a little louder for me." 

"T-t-twelve," she whispered, barely audible. The mic didn't pick it up for everyone to hear. "She's twelve everyone. Now that our three representatives have been chosen, that means our time here has sadly come to an end. Can't wait to see you all next year! A round of applause for Lele Pons, Matt Haag and Justine Ezarik, everyone!"

She received none.

~~~

District Six

Sierra walked with her mom, who was the Mayor of District Six to the Justice building. "I'm nervous, Mom," she confessed as they sauntered through the town hand in hand. "I know, but even as Mayor, I can't do anything about removing your name from the Reaping bowl, I'm sorry." 

"It's okay. I don't want to be treated differently because I'm your daughter. I just want to be like everyone else. It's fairer that way." Her mother sighed, closing her eyes for a split second. 

"I know, kiddo. Your sister wishes she was still eligable so that if you were Reaped, she could volunteer, you know." Sierra nodded. "I know, she told me." 

There was an awkward silence between them as Sierra's blue eyes wandered around.

She recognized Tim a few yards ahead, all by himself, hands in his pockets. He was looking down at the ground, looking tense.

As everyone around her was. Tim took his hands out of his pockets, causing him to drop something that looked like a wallet. He opened his mouth to say what she assumed to be a cursed and picked it up.

She was so lost in thought, she tripped on her own feet.

Why must life be this way?

As she got up, she noticed an older boy who Sierra recognized as Daniel come her way.

"You okay?" he asked as she got up and nodded. "I'm fine, the only thing I bruised is my pride."

"Are you sure? You took a pretty nasty fall there."

"Yeah, thanks. May the odds ever be in your favor today."

He gave her a grim smile. "May the odds ever be in your favor too."

Daniel left and Sierra went to inspect the damager and noticed a drop of blood on her knee that splattered onto her dress.

Almost seemed symbolic, didn't it?

~~~

"Welcome, welcome District Six! It's a pleasure to be here once more for the Reaping of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games!" chirped the District Six escort, Bellina Bouras.

Bellina had lime green hair, face caked with makeup in a similar shade. She wore an alligator skin dress, giving her almost a reptilian look.

"As a reminder, we will be selecting three brave young men and women to represent District Six this year! Let's begin with the ladies, shall we?"

In the corner of her eye, the escort saw the Mayor looking at someone nervously in the masses. She knew it was the Mayor's daughter, Sierra.

Bellina recalled it being her first Reaping today. She opened up the small piece of paper with someone's name written on it.

"Oh, this is interesting. Sierra Furtado."

Everyone let out a gasp, Mayor Furtado letting out a cry of shock. She flew to her feet, but stopped herself from doing anything irrational.

"Sierra? Please step forward."

She lookef at the escort with fearful eyes. The Peacekeepers had to drag her up to get her on the stage.

"Hello sweetie. How old are you?"

"T-twelve."

"Sublime, good luck to you Sierra! Next is our boy tribute!"

She plucks out a name. "Timothy DeLaGhetto!"

"Damnit!" a boy shouted, storming up to the Justice building. "Oh my, we have a feisty one, don't we?" Bellina joked, but no one laughed.

"Hello Timothy. Can you tell us how old you are?"

"Thirteen," he spat before getting into his position. "Alright now for our final tribute, the wildcard tribute!"

She picked a slip and read it, clearing her throat. There was a tense silence. "Daniel Preda."

An older boy came forward wordlessly, avoiding the sympathetic glances. "Hello hon. How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen."

"Right on time! A year older and you would've been too old to get the glorious privilege of competing!"

Daniel flinched and mumbled something she couldn't here. "That sadly ends our time here. Let's give a round of applause for our tributes, Sierra Furtado, Timothy DeLaGhetto and Daniel Preda!"

The Reapings were halfway done, with eighteen tributes selected. Now was the time for Districts Seven through Twelve to shine!

Chapter Text

"Hello citizens of Panem! My name is Caeser Flickerman and this is your Capitol update! It's been quite an eventful few hours hasn't it? We now have half of our tributes, coming from District One through Six! In a few short minutes, the tributes from District Seven through Twelve will be Reaped. But for now, let's see who they are shall we?" 

He grinned at the camera as the District One symbol appeared on the screen. "Kicking us off, we have District One- the District of Luxury. We have two Careers from here, the first of which is Gabbie Hanna, aged seventeen! Quite the confident lady she is." 

"Gemma-" Leto started.

"I volunteer!" a girl with wavy black hair and purple tips shouted, wearing a silver high-necked dress.

"An eager beaver aren't we? Come on up, darling!" Leto shouted and she stepped up in a confident stride. The Career held herself high as she approached the stage.

"Next up was another Career, Destorm Power, aged eighteen! He seems very intimidating, perhaps he will be tough competition." 

"Topaz Whiteblossom."

"I volunteer!" an dark-skinned boy yelled calmly and evenly, raising his hand. He donned a grey suit with a wine-colored tie. 

"Another Career! How exciting!"

He sauntered casually towards Leto as children scampered out of the way, slightly intimidated by his cold demeanor.

The escort grinned at him, but he didn't smile back. 

"And lastly, the non-Career, Tana Mongeau, aged sixteen! Oddly enough, not another Career volunteered, so she wound up in this position." 

There was a stiff silence as Leto picked out the final name. No one was sure if there would be a third volunteer or not.

"Tana Mongeau!" Leto announced and a blonde girl in a white and nude dress that fell to her knees, who was presumably Tana, gasped. 

To the right of the escort, Gabbie stiffened, a look flashing in her eyes. Destorm briefly glanced at her, a frown appearing on his face for a brief second.

"Next up, the all-Career District- District Two, Masonry! Our female tribute from Two is Nikita Dragun, aged fifteen! She really blew us all away by volunteering at such a young age! Perhaps we'll have another Finnick Odair situation?" 

Vesta approached the Reaping bowls and digs into the one closest to her. Holding it up in the air for all to see, Vesta unfolded it.

"Artemis-"

"I volunteer!"

It takes a moment for everyone to realize who exactly said those words. For it was certainly not the right Career. This girl was too young. The blonde haired girl rolled her eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Speaking of hair, her hair was in a half-up, half-down do. She stood out compared to her fellow fifteen-year-olds, preferring to wear a hot pink mini dress instead of something more muted.

Then the outraged comments began as she strode forward, ignoring it all.

"What are you doing? You weren't elected by the trainers! It was me!" Callista sneered, furious. Yet there was nothing she could do. Both fates were sealed.

"Who does she think she is?"

"What the hell is she doing?"

"Why did she do that?"

Vesta's smile faltered for a second, but then it brightened once more. 

"The second tribute from Two is Manny Guterriez, aged eighteen! To everyone's relief, he was the correct tribute to volunteer and wasn't beaten by a cheater." 

"Moving on to our boy tribute!"

The escort picked out a random name and said, "Orion Gaius-"

"I volunteer!" a raven-haired boy in a green turtleneck shouted. 

"Hooray, another volunteer! Come over!"

"And our third wildcard tribute is yet another Career, Bretman Rock, aged fifteen! Apparently, District Two is letting younger Careers compete now," Caeser joked. 

As she picked out a third names, she cheered, "Fabulous! And for our final tribute! The third and final representative for District Two is..." she paused as the crowd grew more attentive. "Gunner Smith-"

"I volunteer!" said a dark-haired boy dressed in a mustard yellow jacket and black slacks. He said this before anyone figured out who this 'Gunner Smith' was. 

Vesta let out a gasp. "Three volunteers? What a lovely surprise!"

"Moving on to District Three- the Technology District, we have Safiya Nygaard, aged eighteen! It seems that we may have some young love between Safiya and the District Three male tribute? More on that in a minute." 

 "Now is the time for me to draw the female tribute that will represent District Three." She plucks a paper from the bowl and opened it, a slight tremble in her hands. Everyone was too far away to be able to see it though.

"Sofia Nygaard."

A raven-haired girl sporting a red dress and brown jacket from the eighteen-year-old section steps forward, yanking her hand out of a boy's hand.  "No!" he cried as she walked up towards the stage.

"Speaking of the District Three male tribute, he is Tyler Williams, aged eighteen! After seeing Safiya's name was Reaped, he bravely volunteered to protect her! How romantic! Let's hope he succeeds!"

"Packard-"

"I volunteer!" the same brunette boy in a white dress shirt and jean jacket from earlier shouted, a hint of desperation in his voice. Safiya let out an audible gasp and muttered something the microphone couldn't pick up.

She smiled weakly and said, "Great. A volunteer. Come on up, child." 

"Lastly from District Three is Eva Gutowski, aged fourteen! She was the first tribute under the age of fifteen to be Reaped. Her poor sister was quite upset at seeing that Eva was Reaped. Hopefully they'll see each other again!" 

"Now for our third and final tribute: the wildcard."

The camera picked up on Tyler holding Safiya's hand for a brief moment before she pulled away, turning away from him slightly. 

Clearing her throat, Calliope picked the last slip and told the whole country who the final tribute was. "Eva Gutowski."

She saw a brunette girl with blonde tips, sporting a beige shirt, brown skirt and coral jacket in the crowd flinch and a quiet cry from somewhere else. "No! Don't take my sister!"

"Moving on to District Four- the District of Fishing! First up we have Liza Koshy, aged seventeen, who is a Career! We'll definitely be seeing some Career pack action this year, with even more of them! I can't wait to see this all go down."

"Now then, we will select the female that will be representing District Four this year!"

Twinkle sticks her hand into the large glass bowl and plucks a small slip of paper. Bringing it to eye level, she read, "Coral Hampton!"

"I volunteer!" a little brown girl in white dress and beige jacket immediately shouted, waving her hand in the air.

"Next from District Four is Alex Burris, aged eighteen! He seems very capable and confident that he'll do his District proud. We'll see how that works for him in a week or so." 

"Wonderful! Now for our male tribute! Perhaps District Four will actually have a chance this year if we have another Career!"

"River-"

"I volunteer as tribute!" a boy with ebony from the eighteen-year-old section yelled. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, black jacket, matching black slacks and red tie. "Very eager aren't we? How exciting! We have another volunteer!"

"Unfortunately unlike District Two, District Four did not follow in their footsteps and have an all Career District. Instead, Roi Fabito, aged sixteen was Reaped. He seemed to be very surprised and shocked that he was Reaped! As if it was the last thing that would happen to happen. Hate to disappoint the kid, but..."

"Fantastic! Now for this year's twist: the third tribute! Let's see who the lucky person is!" Twinkle said, trying to rally the crowd with no success.

"Roi Fabito!"

The Careers behind the Capitol woman gasped quietly, as if they knew him. Twinkle ignored them though and said, "Roi? Wherever you are, please come up to the stage!"

The boy named Roi was a dark-haired boy in a white and blue shirt, wearing a jacket that was those two colors with the addition of red. 

Eventually Roi got on stage, looking frightened for his safety. He didn't look like he wanted to be here at all. As if it didn't feel real and he thought it all was a horrible nightmare. Alas, this was his reality. He was officially a Hunger Games tribute.

"From District Five- the Power District we have Lele Pons, aged fifteen! She seemed to be quite confident compared to her District partners!"

"I am very honored to pick our three tributes that will represent District Five in this pagent of bravery, wit and strength! Without further ado, let's start with the ladies, shall we?" Her grin broadened as she chose a slip from the bowl brimming with papers. 

"Our female representative is... Lele Pons!" 

A blonde girl in a black dress from the fifteen-year-old section shuffled up from the crowd, surprisingly not looking upset at all.

"Next we have Matt Haag, aged fourteen. Weirdly enough, as he was called, Lele started laughing. Was it because he was a friend or an enemy? We'll find out!"

"Our male representative is... Matt Haag!"

Lele let out something that sounded like a laugh, but the escort ignored it.

"Come on up, Matt!" 

A boy in an olive green jacket made his way towards the stage.

"The last tribute from District Five is our youngest tribute so far, Justine Ezarik, aged twelve! She seemed frightened and was near tears. Maybe it's because she knows twelve-year-olds don't last very long!"

"Now for our wildcard tribute! And that is..." she picked the third and final name. "Justine Ezarik."

A young girl in a white dress steps up and the crowd lets out a gasp. Her face turns red as she's trying to fight tears.

"Next is District Six- the Teleportation District! For the first time in history, a Mayor's kid was Reaped! And that is Sierra Furtado, aged twelve, daughter of Mayor Furtado!"

"Oh, this is interesting. Sierra Furtado."

Everyone let out a gasp, Mayor Furtado letting out a cry of shock. She flew to her feet, but stopped herself from doing anything irrational. T

"Sierra? Please step forward."

The girl wearing a white dress looked at the escort with fearful eyes. The Peacekeepers had to drag her up to get her on the stage."

"We also have Timothy DeLaGhetto, aged thirteen! He seemed to be quite angry that he was Reaped. Wonder why he would be upset at receiving such an honor."

"Next is our boy tribute!"

She plucks out a name. "Timothy DeLaGhetto!"

"Damnit!" a boy wearing a plaid suit shouted, storming up to the Justice building. "Oh my, we have a feisty one, don't we?" Bellina joked, but no one laughed.
"Alright now for our final tribute, the wildcard tribute!"

"Last, but not least is Daniel Preda, aged eighteen. He was rather quiet and didn't make much of an impression. Is it a tactic or is he just quiet?"

She picked a slip and read it, clearing her throat. There was a tense silence. "Daniel Preda."

An older boy in all white came forward wordlessly, avoiding the sympathetic glances.

"Well, that is all for Districts One through Six! Up next is Districts Seven through Twelve, so stay tuned! We'll be back shortly. I'm Caeser Flickerman and that was your Capitol Update!"

It's not like they have a choice whether or not they watch it or not.

What surprises will Districts Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven and Twelve bring?

Guess everyone will find out soon.

Chapter Text

Now was time for the second half of the Reapings for the 75th Hunger Games, also known as the Third Quarter Quell. Let's see what Districts Seven through Twelve have in store for the Capitol.

Districts One through Six seem intimidating so far! Quite a few competitors look hard to beat! Can they say the same? Well, time to find out.

May the odds ever be in your favor, Panem. The Capitol certainly loves surprises. 

~~~

District Seven

Oli picked up the corpse of the rabbit and put it in his sack, filled with other animals that were once full of life. And lost it when he started hunting again this morning. This time however, it wasn't for his family to eat, they still had plenty of game from yesterday. This game... this game was to sell.

His family needed the money, so he often sold game. Yesterday, he was rather unlucky and only hunted enough for his family. So came for round two in the morning, before the Reaping. 

Even the mention of it sent chills down his spine. Shaking his head and banishing thoughts about those bloody Games, he muttered, "This should be enough. I should head back before mum and dad have my head." 

Today though, he was rather lucky. He even caught a fox, something he hasn't seen for months now.

Oli started heading back to District Seven, keeping an eye out for Peacekeepers. Usually, the electric fence wasn't crawling with them, but given today was the Reaping, they had to make sure no one escaped. He would have to be extra cautious of his moves.

He came across a clump of trees and concealed himself behind it, waiting to see if the coast was clear, Thankfully, it was. So he made a mad dash for it. Not before leaving his weapons in his usual spot, of course.

Sprinting across the tree line, Oli crawled under the fence and went to his next destination: the butcher's shop.

~~~

Sarah heard the bells on the butcher shop door jingle, signaling someone came in. Hastily wiping her hands on a rag, she walked out to see who it was. Perhaps it was Oli, who was coming in with his game.

"Hey Oli," Sarah greeted him with a smile. He smiled back, but quickly got to business. "I want double of what your family usually gives me. I got twice the amount I usually do and a fox." 

She raised an eyebrow. "Double? You know my family's barely getting by with us paying you for game. I hardly have enough for that."

"Then no game for the week." 

Sarah sighed, pursing her lips. Then she nodded. "Fine. We have a deal." She handed him the money and he thanked her.

As he left, she said, "May the odds ever be in your favor, Oli." 

He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. "May the odds ever be in your favor, Sarah."

~~~

Teala was minding her own business, snacking on an apple and piece of bread as she walked to the town square for the Reaping. Unfortuntaly, like everyone else who minds their own business, they always encounter someone that ruins the sobriety. 

"Hey! Wait up, buddy!" calls a familiar voice of a girl named Blair. 

Run Teala. You don't want to get beat up on Reaping Day.

She ran off the trail towards town square and went down a side road. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Blair and her two minions-er, friends. All three of them were about sixteen, four years older than she was. They laugh as they run after her, joking about the things they're going to do to her.

"Keep on her tail! I have an idea!" Blair ordered and Teala didn't dare look over her shoulder again. Moving swiftly through the alleyways, she kept her eyes peeled for a sign for Blair and her minions.

"Hi Teala," Blair said, stepping in front of her from behind a wall. The young girl was sprinting too fast to stop herself and crashed right into the older girl. Landing on her back, Teala groaned.

"Hey there. What do you have for me, today?" Blair sneered and Teala scowled, snapping, "Nothing. It's my food." 

"Don't. Talk. To. Me. Like. That. Little. B*tch." She kicked Teala hard in the leg with every word, each kick getting more and more forceful. She snatched the food as Teala lay in there in the alleyway, crying in pain.

"Cya Teala. I hope the odds aren't in your favor." She cackled and left Teala there all by herself.

~~~

"Hello District Seven! Welcome to the Reaping for the Third Quarter Quell! I know you're excited as I am to see who will be representing the Lumber District this year!" began the District Seven escort, Sabrina Sarantos. She was a blue-haired lady, with gems in each of her teeth, to give the illusion of having perfectly white teeth. Her nails were an aqua blue, matching her hair/

The crowd murmured dissent, but the escort ignored it. "Without further ado, let's select the female that will compete, eh?" 

She put a hand in the Reaping bowl and read it out loud. "Teala Dunn!"

There was a gasp of surprise and sympathetic glances from the audience as a small girl from the twelve-year-old section walked up. Or rather, limped up. "C'mon Skippy, we don't have all day! Hurry up!" Sabrina scorned the girl.

Teala gave the blue-haired lady a look of venom as she limped on the stage. "What's your age, dearie?"

"Twelve." 

"Great, thank you! Now for the boys!" 

Plunging her hand into the large glass bowl, she plucks a piece of paper using her index and thumb finger. "Oli White!" she shouted happily, grinning at the crowd, searching for the lucky boy.

Where was he? He should be ecstatic to be chosen among thousands of boys for such an honor! 

Oli made his way towards the stage glumly, head hung low for a moment before lifting his head. Something must've made him get to his sense, for now he walked with a little more self-assurance. "Hello sweetie! Tell us your age, please."

"I'm fourteen, ma'am." 

"Magnificent, thank you. Now, for the most exciting part: the wildcard tribute! And that is..." she pulled out a piece of paper. "Sarah Betts!" 

Oli and Teala both let out a gasp, the former murmuring, "Bloody hell." 

Sarah walked up the platform, lips pursed in a thin line. Her normally tan face looked bloodless and pale. "Hello hon! Please tell us how old you are."

"T-thirteen." 

"Great, thank you! Now that means that our three tributes have been selected and the Reaping for this year has ended. As a reminder, our tributes are Teala Dunn, Oli White and Sarah Betts! Give them a hand!"

~~~

District Eight

Lauren's eyes fluttered open as the morning sunlight streamed through her window. She felt like she was at peace for a second. Then it hit her what day it was.

The day of the Reaping. She gulped and the smile faded from her face. The Games always made her cry, she hated watching them. As a majority of people in Panem did.

It turned the most kind and compassionate people into the most wicked and cruel. It turned people into killers. When they really had no choice.

It was either kill or be killed. And when faced with that choice, most would be selfish and choose their own survival. She couldn't remember a time where a tribute committed suicide for the benefit of another tribute. That day would probably never come.

Dragging herself out of bed, she got ready for the day. For Lauren still had work to do before the Reaping.

There was a customer coming soon. Or rather, a friend.

~~~

"Ouch!" Andrea (B) squeaked as Lauren stuck another needle in her dress. "I'm not a human pincushion you know," she joked.

"Sorry Andrea, I'll be more careful," she apologized, looking distracted. As if her mind was elsewhere. "It's alright, Lauren. You're already doing me a favor by fixing my Reaping dress at the last minute."

"Anything for a friend. Now, I think the dress should fit better now that we've made adjustments. Change out of it and wait for me to finish, okay?"

Andrea nodded and grabbed the clothes that she came in. It was a rather pretty dress, but it was what she was wearing it for that unnerved Andrea.

If it was saved for any other occassion... it would probably become one of her favorites.

Sighing, she snapped out of her thoughts and went to go change.

~~~

Jesse was quickly finishing up his cleaning at a cloth dying factory. Yes, he worked as a janitor here. Not the most fun job, but it paid okay.

That was admittedly a lie, but Jesse really didn't have much of an option. There weren't that many well-paying jobs out here in District Eight.

His boss had decided to make him clean the factory before the Reaping, considering no one would be in here today. No one but him.

It was symbolic almost. A fresh start. After some bloodshed.

Worst part was, he wasn't even getting paid for coming in today. He really should quit one of these days, but given that he couldn't find another job... he was stuck here.

Sweeping his days away. Truly a Cinderella-esque story isn't it? Except there was no Prince Charming.

Unless you counted the Capitol, but even a pineapple would have more charm than them. Little bastards.

~~~

"Ladies, gentlemen, non-binary and more of District Eight, welcome to the 75th Annual Hunger Games Reaping! It is truly an honor to stand here today with you all to select three young and brave men and women to compete for District Eight! Let's get started shall we?" the District Eight escort, Tatiana Totos said. She wore a blue and purple power-suit and had weirdly-shaped navy hair.

"Our female tribute is..." she picks up a sheet of paper after digging into the bowl. "Lauren-" she paused, trying to figure out the last name. "Reemaki?"

The girl who was presumably Lauren, put a hand over her mouth, shell-shocked. She had a band-aid on her index finger. Tears brimmed her eyes and she stood still, feet planted to where she was.

"Lauren, please come on up. We don't have all day, darling!" Tatiana said in a sing-song voice. 

Getting impatient, Peacekeepers walked over to the girl and dragged her and she yelped. Their grip was rather tight and when they let go, her arms were red. "Finally! Now, how old are you, Lauren?"

"S-sixteen, miss. And m-my l-la-last n-na-name is pronounced Rii-hi-maki."

"Alright thank you Miss Riihimaki! Now for our male tribute!" 

She pulls out a boy's name and the males in the crowd tensed up, leaning forward slightly. "Jesse Wellens! Jesse, please come to the stage! And don't take so long!" 

A boy stiffened and started walking up towards the stage. The girl next to him let out a cry, calling out his name. He looked at her one last time and his face fell. Then he turned away and didn't look back. 

"Hello honey! Can you tell us how old you are?" the escort asked.

"Fifteen," he answered flatly, his look of sorrow replaced with an unreadable one.

Did he feel fear? Anger? Sadness? Determination? All of the above? No one could really tell at that point.

"Last, but not least, the extra tribute! I'm sure you're all eager to know who it's going to be! I know I am."

Picking a name from the third bowl, she took a moment to read the name. Then, Tatiana looked up and told the whole country of Panem the final tribute to represent District Eight.

"Andrea Brooks!"

Andrea muttered something under her breath before walking through the other children. The escort beamed at her, but she didn't smile back. Her face remained neutral.

"Hello there, dear. Can you tell us how old you are?"

"I'm thirteen."

"Excellent, thank you! With all three tributes Reaped, that means this is the end of this year's Reapings! As a reminder, this year's tributes are Lauren Riihimaki, Jesse Wellens and Andrea Brooks!"

~~~

District Nine

"Isn't it a great day to be alive?" Matt asked sarcastically. Ro threw him a look. Today was one of the worst days to be alive. Especially when it brought back bad memories.

Her sister, Molly had been Reaped three years before. Ro was going to volunteer at the time, but then her parents started running towards her sister, screaming and crying. Yelling at the Capitol. Then they were arrested. Likely dead. 

Her sister lasted surprisingly long in the Games. She couldn't seem to die, escaping the Capitol and other tributes' grasps again and again. Molly was stubborn enough to stay alive. Then, came the Feast.

She was killed by a District Two Career, who used flint and steel. She burned to death. And so Rosanna was left all alone with no family left.

The Patrick family was gracious enough to take her in as their own, so she wouldn't have to be taken to the orphanage. She was lucky, unlike many other children who didn't have a home. A family.

"I'm sorry Ro, I shouldn't have made that joke. I know this day brings back bad memories" Matt apologized, making Ro snap out of her thoughts.

"It's okay, I make them too. To avoid going back to that day, but it still haunts me sometimes." She gave him a sad smile. "C'mon, let's go. We don't want to be late and we're meeting up with Stephanie at her house."

~~~

Stephanie was checking herself in the mirror when she heard a knock. Two short raps followed by a pause. It sounded like Matt.

Glancing at her reflection one last time, she went to go open the door. Turning the knob, she was met with two familiar faces. "Hey Stephanie!" the two of them chorused.

"Hey guys," she answered, struggling to muster a smile. Walking over to Matt, she kissed him.

After a few seconds, Ro cleared her throat. "Come on kids, wrap it up. You're making me sick."

The couple pulled away and rolled their eyes. "Gee Ro, no need to be so harsh. Just because you don't have a boyfriend doesn't mean you can interrupt moments," Matt flared and Ro glared at him. "Doesn't she have Mike though?" Stephanie questioned.

"Mike isn't my boyfriend!" Ro insisted. "We're just friends."

"That's what all the youngins say," Matt sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Watch your tone, young man. I'm older than you."

"Okay Granny, let's go like you said." Ro gave him a lethal glare and marched ahead, arms crossed.

Leaving the couple behind, she went to go to catch-up with a certain tall blond

~~~

"Welcome District Nine to the 75th Annual Hunger Games Reaping! As we are all gathered here today, we will be selecting our three competitors for this year's Hunger Games! May the odds ever be in your favor!" the District Nine escort, Justice Jettars chimed. She was dressed in gold from head to toe. Almost angelic, weirdly enough.

But we all know that most Capitol citizens are no saints. "As always, ladies first!"

She digs her hand in the first bowl and almost a full minute passes by until she picks a piece of paper.

"Rosanna Pansino," the escort said.

"NO!" a boy and a girl shouted. The latter pushed through the crowd. "No! I volunteer!" she cried, pushing in front of Rosanna, who gasped.

"No, no Stephanie don't do this. Matt needs you," Rosanna begged.

"He needs you more." The girl pushed Rosanna away and marched ahead.

"A volunteer, how exciting! We never get those around here!" She laughed, but no one else joined her.

"Hello pumpkin! What's your name and age?"

"Stephanie Cardato and I'm sixteen."

"Superb! Next up, the gentlemen!" She goes to the second Reaping bowl and picks out a boy's name.

"Matthew Patrick!"

Rosanna let out a scream and Stephanie gasped from behind her. "No! Matt, don't leave me here all alone!" Rosanna cried. "Someone please, volunteer! Please! I'm begging you! He's all I have!"

Not a single soul was brave enough to come forward and volunteer in Matt's place. Stephanie looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Hello sweetie. How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen." Justice's grin sharpened. "Sublime! Now is the time for our third and final tribute representing District Nine!"

She went to the third Reaping bowl and chose one lucky name among thousands. Then, Justice burst out laughing.

"Rosanna Pansino. Again? How unfortunate!" As she giggled, the congregation looked at Ro in horror.

The small girl walked towards the stage, a look of horror on her face. She was now in the same position as Molly was three years ago.

"Your age, darling?" the escort asked, the tone of her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Seventeen."

"Luck really doesn't run in the Pansino family, does it? Wasn't it your sister that was Reaped a few years ago and died? Was her name Molly?"

Ro looked like she was ready to slap the daylights out of Justice. Her hands curled up into fists. Marching towards the escort and growled,"Yes it is and if you ever speak of her like that  again, I swear to-"

Matt and Stephanie pulled her back as Ro thrashed.

Justice had a smug look on her face. "Feisty one, isn't she? A shame she didn't volunteer for her sister and saved her from death."

The crowd looked uneasy as she said this. "Well, that means our three tributes are Stephanie Cardato, Matthew Patrick and Rosanna Pansino! Give them a hand!"

She returned to her usual 'sweet' demeanor.

~~~

D istrict Ten

"I swear Shane, did you get in trouble yesterday again?" Colleen groaned, trailing behind him.

He gave her a sheepish look. "Yes-"

"SHANE LEE DAWSON-"

Garett sweeped in and cut in between the two friends. "Save your breath and cut back on the lecture, Colleen." He then looked at Shane. "What the hell happened?"

The ginger mumbled, "I worked overtime yesterday and was told to clean the horse stalls yesterday. So, I did just that. But then, when I went to return the cleaning supplies to the little closet, someone locked me in.  And so this morning, a Peacekeeper let me out and brought me in for questioning. And then, Head Peacekeeper accused me of murder of my own boss-"

"Murder?" Colleen and Garett asked in unison. "This isn't the Hunger Games, Shane," Garrett added and he gave Garett a bemused look.

 "I don't even know how they jumped to that conclusion when I was inside the closet all night."

Colleen gave him a confused look. "Continue."

"Because the Peacekeeper said the door wasn't locked, but it was. I swear it was. And then they found a knife in my pocket covered in blood. I didn't even know it was even there. I never carry a knife on me. And the only person I bumped into was this strange woman-" 

Shane fell silent, paling. He realized the answer. "Shane? What about the woman?" Garrett pressed. "She must have set him up," Colleen answered, realizing the answer too.

"It's too late to prove my innocence. I've already been condemned," Shane grumbled. His friends exchanged curious looks. "What do you mean, Shane? What's your punishment?" she asked.

"They're forcing me to volunteer for the Hunger Games."

The other two blanched, unable to believe it. "Can they do that?" Garrett inquired.

~~~

"Hello darlings!" chirped the District Ten escort, Iggy Ioannou. She looked almost like a peacock, dressed in a tight blue dress, black thigh-high boots and all sorts of outlandish jewelry. She even wore a headdress to match her outfit.

"Welcome to this year's Reapings!  Let's skip the pleasantries and get right to it! As usual, we will begin with the women." 

She sticks her skeletally long fingers into the large bowl full of names of female prospects. Iggy takes a deep breath and clears her throat. "Colleen Ballinger!" 

Colleen merely sighed and walks up towards the stage. That was handled better than most tributes would. The Capitol woman beams and asks, "How old are you, dearie?"

"I'm fifteen, ma'am." 

"Great, thank you! Now time for the men!" She sticks her hand into the boys' Reaping bowls. "Cooper Lagorio!" 

"I volunteer as tribute!" a boy said, raising his hand. His hand was trembling slightly, a look of fear in his blue eyes. Like he didn't volunteer on his own freewill. As if he was forced to.

"Oh? A volunteer? We haven't had one in ages! Perhaps District Ten will have a chance this year then. Volunteers always do well."

He flinched as he approached the Justice Building. "Hello brave friend! What's your name and age?"

"Shane Dawson and I'm fourteen, but I'm not your friend." There was a few chuckles and Iggy pursed her lips, not amused by his response.

"What a young volunteer! How interesting. Thank you, Shane. Time for the wildcard tribute!" Iggy tried to hide her perplexity as she chose the third name. "Garrett Watts!" 

In the corner of her eye, she saw Colleen looking faint and Shane steadying her. The boy adjusted his glasses, trying not to fidget out of nervousness. The escort ignored his anxiousness and questioned, "What's your age, honey?"

"Fourteen."

"Interesting! Well, that means the Reaping has drawn to a close. Thank you everyone for coming out here to celebrate the 75th Hunger Games! May the odds ever be in the tributes- Colleen Ballinger, Shane Dawson and Garett Watts!"

~~~

District Eleven

There's a fine line between sanity and insanity. GloZell feels like she's right on that fine line today. As everyone else was. She laid on the soft green grass, lazily chewing on some of it as the sun beat down on her. Might as well enjoy some serenity before the chaos that was to come.

She was trying to prolong going back to her house to get ready for the Reaping as long as possible. Even if this was GloZell's last Reaping, it still unnerved her. GloZell still could get Reaped and never lead a full life.

Then again, there were so many kids in District Eleven. What are the odds that the gods would be cruel enough to send her into the Hunger Games? It's everyone's worst nightmare. Why did it even have to exist?

Right. Because the thirteen District rebelled against the Capitol 75 years ago. Talk about holding a grudge. And she thought she was an unforgiving person. Surely with so many kids dying in the past 75 years, you'd think the lives lost were already made up for already. They just need to let it go.

Stop being spiteful. Thinking that she should head back home now, she stood up, brushing the grass off her dress. Now it's time to face everyone's favorite day of the year! 

GloZell tried to not roll her eyes thinking about it and just strolled home. "Stupid Games. I'm so glad it's my last year that I'm eligible. I think I would rip my hair out if I had to go through this process one more time after this."

She tried to smile. "One last time."

~~~

"I really hope you're keeping your word and not volunteering," Chelsey scorned Kian. Jc gave them a confused look. "Volunteer? We never talked about that-"

Chelsey pursed her lips. "Yeah, well Kian told me yesterday that he was considering volunteering for the damn Hunger Games. I have never heard a more idiotic idea in my entire li-"

"Wait a minute. Why would you think about doing such a thing, Kian?" Jc interrupted his girlfriend, turning to his best friend. "For Corey."

"You know revenge is never the answer, buddy. Don't let the vengeance consume you, Kian. It'll turn you into something you're not."

"Who said anything about revenge? I was talking about doing him justice." 

"He's resting easy, Kian. I'm sure he would never wish death for a person that is from the same District that his killer was from because what are the chances that the person even knew the tribute?" Chelsey reasoned. 

"Fine. I'll let it go. Or at least I'll try to." 

"Good. I can't lose another friend. Corey was enough of a loss." Chelsey gave the two boys a sad smile, tears filling her eyes.

"I see him sometimes, you know. In my dreams. Looking at me in disappointment. Like he knew I could've done something."

"But we can't dwell on the past. Because if we fear the past, it becomes our future," Jc said and Kian rolled his eyes. "Be quiet, Socrates." 

The trio cracked small smiles before it faded. For they saw the town square appeared in the distance. The place plagued with death... has entered their sightline.

~~~

"Hello everyone! The time has come where we select three tributes to represent District Eleven in the Hunger Games. Welcome to the Reaping of the 75th Hunger Games. May the odds ever be in your favor!" shouted the shrill voice of Edna Elias.

She was rather short, only about four feet tall. Her sleek black hair was in a bob. Her brown eyes were enlarged by a pair of goggles with thick lenses. She wore huge pumps that were supposed to elevate her height, but in reality, they only made her legs look short.

"It's a pleasure to be here with you all to celebrate such a glorious event! I know you all are excited as I am. Without further stalling, let's begin with the girls!"

The escort jumbled all the names in the large glass bowl and finally picks one out of the thousands of slips. "GloZell Green!" 

"Oh brother," a girl groaned loudly. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Edna joked.

No one makes a sound, clearly not amused by her joke. "Tough crowd, eh? Lighten up, folks! This is a great day for all of us!"

She turned to GloZell, who was right next to her."Hello hon! Tell us your age, please."

"Eighteen."

"Marvelous, thank you dearie. Now for the boys!"

She sticks her hand into the male Reaping bowl and picks a name after some digging. "Jc Caylen!"

"No!" a girl cried and a boy with curly black hair next to her paled. Edna originally thought that he was Jc, but it wasn't. A third boy, the one who was holding the girl's hand stepped forward. The boy with the curly black hair was about to step forward saying, "I volunt-"

The blond pushed him back, shaking his head firmly. "What a show this is. I hate to cut the moment short, but Jc please come forward! We don't have time for your dillydallying mister!" 

Jc sauntered up the steps on the side of the stage and the Capitol citizen asked, "How old are you?" 

"Sixteen." 

"Thank you, Jc! Now for the our special twist for this year, the wildcard! I'm overjoyed to know that there will be three tributes representing District Eleven this year!" 

She picked the third and final name and everyone held their breaths, watching with frenzied eyes. Who was it going to be? Who was going to be the unlucky lamb to the slaughter while the rest could go home, relieved that they're free for another year?

"Kian Lawley!"

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" the same girl screamed again. "THIS CAN'T BE! I CAN'T LOSE YOU GUYS TOO!" She broke down and fell to her knees. People gave her sympathetic looks, but no one dared take Kian's place.

"Guess you got what you wanted after all," Jc murmured quietly. To whom, Edna couldn't pinpoint that.

"Hello sweetheart! What age are you?"

"Fifteen," he mumbled quietly. 

"That's it from us for now, but you'll see these familiar faces again! Let's give it up one more time for GloZell Green, Jc Caylen and Kian Lawley! Happy Hunger Games!"

 ~~~

District Twelve

Andrea (R) sat in the woods, trying to escape the feeling of impending doom. She popped a berry in her mouth, letting the sweet, yet acidic taste flood her mouth. It was peaceful here, but a good kind. Unlike District Twelve, which was practically a zombie town right now.

There were days were she considered running away from Twelve and live in the woods. But there was too much she was risking. Besides, her family would never agree to living here. And if she ran off on her own, who would bring in the game?

"I wish I didn't live here," she complained, pulling her knees to her chest. Andrea rested her head on her knees. "Maybe if I was in One or Two, it would be okay. But not here."

She flung a berry out of frustration. "Lucky bastards. They don't have to worry too much about money or whether or not you're going in the Hunger Games."

"Welcome to District Twelve, where people die of starvation every damn day and malnourished children fight to their death because you can't work in the mines until you're eighteen, so you don't have any useful skills."

Eventually, Andrea pulled herself together and stopped sulking. Brushing off grass on her pants, she jogged back to the electric fence.

~~~

Scott was with his friends, who were walking closely together. All were scared of what's going to come today. They were all worried that one of them would get picked. Matt (S) was especially nervous, considering it was his first Reaping.

But everyone insisted that he would be okay, especially Kevin and Tyler (O), who were the oldest in the group. "I feel bad for whoever gets Reaped today," Tyler (O) squeaked. "Twelve really never stands a chance."

"Don't be such a pessimist, Mitch. You say this every year. Most of the time you're right. But remember last year?" Scott asked. "That was one time." 

"But it could happen again. You can't just be hopeless when the battle hasn't even begun," Kevin jumped to Scott's defense.

"Yeah. I mean, I feel like with Katniss helping Haymitch mentor, Twelve will have more of a chance," Mitch reasoned. "He's not exactly fit to mentor. Always drinking," Kirstin murmured.

"Not a bad guy though," Matt (S) said. "But not the greatest mentor. I don't blame him though. I'd be like him if I was in his shoes," Scott added. 

"He's got no one left. Poor guy. He's the only Victor that's alive that's won a Quarter Quell," Kirstin sighed, heart aching for the guy. "Yeah... but they never show his Games for some odd reason. I wonder why. You'd think they'd show Quarter Quells more often," Tyler (O) remarked.

"Yeah, it doesn't make sense, does it? Not like we can really ask him," Scott agreed.

~~~

"Welcome, welcome. The time has come to select three courageous men and women for the honor of representing District Twelve in this year's 75th Annual Hunger Games! May the odds ever be in your favor!" began Effie Trinket, the escort of District Twelve. "Ladies first!" 

She walks to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reaches in, digs her hand deep inside the ball and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd is eerily silent, waiting to see who it is. Who the unlucky child will be. Many children desperately hope its not them.

"Andrea Russett!"

"OH FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!" a young girl screams, throwing her hands in the air. She storms up towards Effie, upset that she has been chosen. "That's the spirit, darling! Let's give a round of applause for our latest tribute!"

No one does and Effie gets the point, moving on. "How old are you, dear?"

"I'm thirteen."

"Thank you, Andrea! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" The pink-haired escort picks a name from the boys' bowl. "Tyler Oakley."

A boy's mouth fell open in shock. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, walking up. He looked uneasy, queasy almost. A few faces in the mass let out a cry of shock. Perhaps he was their friend.

"I never thought this day would come," he mumbled, but no one else heard him.

"Hello Tyler! Can you tell us your age?"

"Fourteen."

"Ah, another young tribute! I bet my buttons we'll get another younger tribute representing Twelve!" Effie smiled, though it wavered as she thought about that. "Time to choose our final tribute! I'm excited to see who it is. Are you?"

Again, silence. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. "Scott Hoying!" 

"Oh boy..." a boy commented as he walked up. "The odds are certainly not in my favor today," Tyler mumbled. Andrea looked at him and gave him a look of pity.

"Hello Scott! How old are you, darling?"

"Thirteen."

"What did I tell you? Another young tribute! Fascinating. Well, that concludes this year's Reapings. Give it up for District Twelve's tributes- Andrea Russett, Tyler Oakley and Scott Hoying!"

~~~

The tributes have been selected. Now the question is: who will have the odds in their favor? And who will bite the dust earlier than anticipated? Who will the Capitol love? Who will they hate?

Time to find out as the tributes hop on the train. Next stop: the Capitol!

Let the Games begin!

Chapter Text

"Welcome back, Panem! I am so excited to showcase District Seven through Twelve's tributes. The Reapings have finally concluded and we have our 36 tributes that will represent their Districts in this Game of bravery, strength, courage and wit! Now for the highlights of the Reapings!" Caeser Flickerman shouted, grinning maniacally.

"Beginning with District Seven- the District of Lumber, we have Teala Dunn, aged twelve. Poor girl seemed to have a limp, but don't judge a book by its cover and dismiss her so quickly. I bet she's more than she appears- well at least I hope she does!"

"Without further ado, let's select the female that will compete, eh?"

She put a hand in the Reaping bowl and read it out loud. "Teala Dunn!"

There was a gasp of surprise and sympathetic glances from the audience as a small girl in a rose gold dress and red jacket from the twelve-year-old section walked up. Or rather, limped up. "C'mon Skippy, we don't have all day! Hurry up!" Sabrina scorned the girl.

"Next up is our boy from Seven, Oli White, aged fourteen. At first he seemed rather upset to have been chosen for the Hunger Games, but then looked a little more confident about himself. Does he have confidence in himself or is he very good at bluffing?"

"Now for the boys!"

Plunging her hand into the large glass bowl, she plucks a piece of paper using her index and thumb finger. "Oli White!" she shouted happily, grinning at the crowd, searching for the lucky boy.

A boy wearing a creme button up and fur jacket made his way towards the stage glumly, head hung low for a moment before lifting his head. Something must've made him get to his sense, for now he walked with a little more self-assurance.

"And finally from District Seven, we have Sarah Betts, aged thirteen! We have quite young tributes from Seven, but I think they'll surprise us. District Seven competitors usually do rather well. Now the previous tributes looked shocked that Sarah was chosen. Was it because they knew her?"

"Now, for the most exciting part: the wildcard tribute! And that is..." she pulled out a piece of paper. "Sarah Betts!"

Oli and Teala both let out a gasp, the former murmuring, "Bloody hell."

A girl with a natural ombre dressed in a turquoise dress walked up the platform, lips pursed in a thin line. Her normally tan face looked bloodless and pale. Sarah looked like she feared for her life.

"Moving on to District Eight- the Textile District! Firstly, we have Lauren Riihimaki, aged sixteen! She was so shocked that she was Reaped, Peacekeepers had to drag her up to the podium to Tatiana. Take this as a lesson to come forward as soon as you are called to avoid complications, citizens of Panem!"

"Our female tribute is..." she picks up a sheet of paper after digging into the bowl. "Lauren-" she paused, trying to figure out the last name. "Reemaki?"

A girl in an off-the-shoulder yellow dress who was presumably Lauren, put a hand over her mouth, shell-shocked. She had a band-aid on her index finger. Tears brimmed her eyes and she stood still, feet planted to where she was.

"Lauren, please come on up. We don't have all day, darling!" Tatiana said in a sing-song voice.

Getting impatient, Peacekeepers walked over to the girl and dragged her and she yelped. Their grip was rather tight and when they let go, her arms were red. She winced, rubbing her arms.

"Secondly, we have Jesse Wellens, aged fifteen! He didn't make much of an impression on me, rather quiet. A little on the stiff side. Maybe it's his strategy, like District Nine's Vanessa Brambleberry a few years ago. Ah, I love that girl. " 

She pulls out a boy's name and the males in the crowd tensed up, leaning forward slightly. "Jesse Wellens! Jesse, please come to the stage! And don't take so long!"

A boy in all black stiffened and started walking up towards the stage. The girl next to him let out a cry, calling out his name. He looked at her one last time and his face fell. Then he turned away and didn't look back.

"Thirdly from District Eight, we have Andrea Brooks, aged thirteen. She, like Jesse, didn't make much of an impression. One question I have though- what was she muttering under her breath? None of the mics could pick it up, so that'll remain a mystery for now!"

Picking a name from the third bowl, she took a moment to read the name. Then, Tatiana looked up and told the whole country of Panem the final tribute to represent District Eight.

"Andrea Brooks!"

A girl sporting a black jumpsuit and shawl muttered something under her breath before walking through the other children. The escort beamed at her, but she didn't smile back. Her face remained neutral.

"Next up, we have District Nine- the Grain District and oh my! It was quite the memorable Reaping if I do say so myself. Firstly, we have Stephanie Cardato, aged sixteen, who volunteered for Rosanna Pansino, only for the latter to be Reaped again! Her sacrifice was all for nothing. Poor Stephanie! Yet she was very brave and courageous, two traits that we admire here!"

"Rosanna Pansino," the escort said.

"NO!" a boy and a girl shouted. The girl in the green dress pushed through the crowd. "No! I volunteer!" she cried, pushing in front of Rosanna, who gasped.

"No, no Stephanie don't do this. Matt needs you," Rosanna begged.

"He needs you more." The girl pushed Rosanna away and marched ahead.

"A volunteer, how exciting! We never get those around here!" She laughed, but no one else joined her.

"Next we have another interesting one, Matthew Patrick, also aged sixteen. I'm assuming these three are very close, which isn't a good thing! Is this a possible trio alliance? If so, I wonder how long it will last. According to my sources, I hear that Rosanna is his adopted sister! How interesting. We do love a little sibling action, take District One's Cashmere and Gloss for example!"

Next up, the gentlemen!" She goes to the second Reaping bowl and picks out a boy's name.

"Matthew Patrick!"

"Rosanna let out a scream and Stephanie gasped from behind Justice. "No! Matt, don't leave me here all alone!" Rosanna cried. "Someone please, volunteer! Please! I'm begging you! He's all I have!"

Not a single soul was brave enough to come forward and volunteer in Matt's place as the boy in the orange leather jacket approached the podium. Stephanie looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Lastly, we have Rosanna Pansino, aged seventeen! And my oh my, she was an interesting one. Reminds me a bit of District Five's Eden Noelle, who also won a few years back like Vanessa. Gosh, I can't wait to see these Victors again! Justice mentioned Rosanna's sister, Molly Pansino, a tribute from the 72nd Hunger Games, in which that year the Victor was Alana Astaroth. Poor Justice was nearly pummeled by Ms Pansino, but we love a tribute with some fire!"

She went to the third Reaping bowl and chose one lucky name among thousands. Then, Justice burst out laughing.

"Rosanna Pansino. Again? How unfortunate!" As she giggled, the congregation looked at Ro in horror.

The small girl in a light blue dress and green jacket walked towards the stage, a look of horror on her face.

"After that we have District Ten- the District of Livestock! We have Colleen Ballinger, aged fifteen! She didn't show much of a reaction to being Reaped, just a mere sigh. She looks like she might not try too hard, so I don't know if she made much of an impression here."

"Welcome to this year's Reapings! Let's skip the pleasantries and get right to it! As usual, we will begin with the women."

Iggy sticks her skeletally long fingers into the large bowl full of names of female prospects. Iggy takes a deep breath and clears her throat. "Colleen Ballinger!"

A girl in a sparkly black and gold dress merely sighed and walked up towards the stage. That was handled better than most tributes would've.

"Next up, we have Shane Dawson, aged fourteen. He volunteered for a boy named Cooper Lagorio Now, according to my sources, Shane was actually forced to volunteer for the Hunger Games! For what reason, I have not yet figured out, but no secret will be left untouched. He's got a bit of sass to him too! Perhaps it was his mouth that got him in trouble?"

She sticks her hand into the boys' Reaping bowls. "Cooper Lagorio!"

"I volunteer as tribute!" a boy donning a brown leather jacket said, raising his hand. His hand was trembling slightly, a look of fear in his blue eyes. Like he didn't volunteer on his own freewill. As if he was forced to.

"Oh? A volunteer? We haven't had one in ages! Perhaps District Ten will have a chance this year then. Volunteers always do well."

He flinched as he approached the Justice Building. 

"Lastly, we have Garett Watts, aged fourteen. The reaction was rather interesting, for Colleen nearly fainted and Shane looked very uneasy! Do they know him? If so, how close are they to him? Do I smell an alliance in the air? I guess we'll see soon won't we?" 

"Time for the wildcard tribute!" Iggy tried to hide her perplexity as she chose the third name. "Garrett Watts!"

In the corner of her eye, she saw Colleen looking faint and Shane steadying her. The boy wearing a red dress shirt and black pants adjusted his glasses, trying not to fidget out of nervousness. 

 "Next, we have our penultimate District, District Eleven- the District of Agriculture! Our first tribute from Eleven is GloZell Green, aged eighteen. She didn't seem happy at all to be Reaped. Someone was a bit of a grump."

"GloZell Green!"

"Oh brother," a girl wearing black groaned loudly. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Edna joked.

No one makes a sound, clearly not amused by her joke. "Tough crowd, eh? Lighten up, folks! This is a great day for all of us!"

She turned to GloZell, who was right next to her.

"After GloZell, Jc Caylen, aged sixteen was Reaped. An interesting thing was that Kian Lawley, another tribute from Eleven, was about to volunteer for Jc, but he stopped him. Only for Kian to later be Reaped. How ironic!"

"Jc Caylen!"

"No!" a girl cried and a boy with curly black hair next to her paled. Edna originally thought that he was Jc, but it wasn't. A third boy, the one who was holding the girl's hand stepped forward. The boy with the curly black hair was about to step forward saying, "I volunt-"

The blond wearing a patterned white shirt pushed him back, shaking his head firmly. "What a show this is. I hate to cut the moment short, but Jc please come forward! We don't have time for your dillydallying mister!" 

"Next up, we have Kian Lawley, aged fifteen. As mentioned before, Kian was going to volunteer for Jc, but was stopped by him. Didn't want him to steal all the glory, do we? But alas, Kian was Reaped anyway, so it must've been fate! I'm sure these two will team up in the arena. The poor girl who was left behind was a crying mess. I wonder who she is. I do vaguely recall these faces during the 73rd Reaping, where a tribute named Corey La Barrie was Reaped and was electrocuted in the arena! Let's hope they don't face the same fate."

"Kian Lawley!"

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" the same girl screamed again. "THIS CAN'T BE! I CAN'T LOSE YOU GUYS TOO!" She broke down and fell to her knees. People gave her sympathetic looks, but no one dared take Kian's place.

"Guess you got what you wanted after all," Jc murmured quietly. To whom, Edna couldn't pinpoint that.

Finally, we have District Twelve- the Mining District! From there, the only girl, Andrea Russett, aged thirteen. She was quite angry that she was chosen! Will that anger be transferred to the arena? Maybe it will. I certainly hope it does!"

"Andrea Russett!"

"OH FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!" a young girl screams, throwing her hands in the air. She storms up towards Effie, upset that she has been chosen. "That's the spirit, darling! Let's give a round of applause for our latest tribute!"

No one does and Effie gets the point, moving on.

"Secondly, we have Tyler Oakley, aged fourteen! He, like Andrea, mumbled something under his breath that none of us could here! I'll definitely be asking him what he said when the interviews come around. Man, these tributes are an interesting bunch!"

It's time to choose our boy tribute!" The pink-haired escort picks a name from the boys' bowl. "Tyler Oakley."

A boy's mouth fell open in shock. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, walking up. He looked uneasy, queasy almost. A few faces in the mass let out a cry of shock. Perhaps he was their friend.

"Last, but not least, we have Scott Hoying, aged thirteen. He seemed to be friends with Tyler, so I bet they'll be teaming up! Man, I can't wait to see these alliances, but we all know they're not going to last very long! This is a competition of life and death after all!

"Ah, another young tribute! I bet my buttons we'll get another younger tribute representing Twelve!" Effie smiled, though it wavered as she thought about that. "Time to choose our final tribute! I'm excited to see who it is. Are you?"

Again, silence. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. "Scott Hoying!"

"Oh boy..." a boy commented as he walked up. "The odds are certainly not in my favor today," Tyler mumbled. Andrea looked at him and gave him a look of pity.

"That concludes all the Reapings for this year. Until next time, folks. I'm Caeser Flickerman and that was your Capitol Update!"

Chapter Text

As tributes say goodbye to everything they know, reality starts to settle in. In just one week, they may die. The people they're riding the train may die, whether it was by their own hand or someone else's.

36 will be going to the Capitol. Only one will be on the ride home. In only a few weeks, 35 children will be dead.

So who will be the unlucky 35 who will be the ones who truly say goodbye? And who will be the lucky one to escape with their life?

~~~

District Twelve

The train was undoubtedly the most luxurious thing Andrea (R) has seen in her entire life. Plush couches, velvet curtains, she resisted the urge to pet everything to ease her worries.

"Woah," she said, in awe of the place.

She's never ridden a train before. Nor left District Twelve, so the feeling was a little exciting. Then she remembered why she was hear and felt nausea stir within her.

The girl from Twelve was a nervous wreck. Sure, she could use a weapon unlike many other tributes, but could she last longer than them? You never want to underestimate your competition.

Cockiness could get a target painted on her back and she wanted to prolong her life as much as possible.

Andrea tried to tell herself that she's killed animals before, what's the difference when it comes to humans?
She gulped, knowing that there was a huge difference.

They were just like her. Even the Careers. Innocent kids doing their best to get by. Even if all of their methods of daily survival were different.

No one here was evil. So could she look at someone in the eye, knowing that they could be plotting her death or vice versa?

She groaned in frustration, flopping onto the bed, kicking her sandals off. The mattress was so soft and comfortable compared to her stiff one at home. Her eyelids fell heavy almost immediately.

Is this how all these Capitol bastards live? Lucky. People from Twelve would kill to be able to live like this

She flinched. That was true. If she survived, she would live like this. And if she wanted to live, she would have to kill.

Now that she thought about it, Andrea would rather be back in Twelve. She'd trade these luxuries for home any day.

Her train of thoughts were interrupted by the sound of light, but firm knocking. "Andrea! Dinner!" came Effie's voice from the other side of the door.

Andrea sighed, dragging herself off the bed and smoothing her green dress down.

She didn't really feel like eating, but she knew food would be hard to come by once the Games began.

Andrea knew to use her resources to her full advantage. Because in one week, she's the only person she can rely on.

~~~

The dining compartment was a grand space, to say the least. The huge mahogany table took up most of the vast space the dark, romantic room offered, left without a tablecloth and daring guests to ruin the perfectly varnished shine with their unworthy fingerprints. Here, Tyler (O) twirled his fork around, watching the blonde middle-aged Victor drink his bourbon from across the table. Yes, he was sitting at the same table as the notorious Haymitch Abernathy.

It was only him and Haymitch, the others hadn't come yet and the experience was as awkward as it sounded.

"So..." the District Twelve boy began, but trailed off, not knowing what to say. He wished someone was her with him right now to ease the tension.

Because Haymitch well... wasn't exactly the most outgoing and friendly person. The mentor looked at him, expecting him to go on, but Tyler didn't.

Instead, he adjusted his glasses and looked down.

Thankfully, Andrea and Scott came to his rescue, Katniss trailing behind him. Effie was nowhere to be seen, no doubt fixing her wig or powdering her nose or something along those lines.

"Hi Haymitch," Andrea said, giving the Victor a little wave. Scott also waved, but kept quiet, putting his hands in his pockets.

Katniss merely slid into the seat next to Haymitch and poured herself a glass of bourbon. The pink-haired escort chose this very moment to make her grand entrance. She shot the Victors a disapproving look, but smiled at them.

"What? I'm allowed a drink to relieve stress," Katniss defended, taking a swig of her drink. Haymitch made murmurs of agreement. Effie sighed, shoulders sagging before sitting next to the brunette mentor.

"So any initial advice for us?" Scott asked quietly, looking between the two Victors. The duo exchanged looks and the blond said, "Stay alive."

The two burst out laughing, Effie letting out a giggle and the tributes looked at them blankly, wondering if they missed an inside joke.

"Well, that wasn't totally obvious," Scott muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.

~~~

District Two

Nikita, Bretman and Manny were left alone in a train compartment with Vesta. Let's just say, it wasn't the most pleasant experience.

Her attempts at entertaining them while the Victors were who knows where was thinning out fast. Nikita looked completely fed up with the escort, gripping the arm of the chair she was in tightly.

"So... that was quite a show you gave today, wasn't it?" the blonde escort asked sweetly, careful to maintain a smile.

"Please, we all know you're angry about it, no need to hide it," Bretman sassed, looking out the window, refusing to even look at her. Her smile faltered and turned into a scowl. "You two made me look bad, of course I'm going to be angry about it! You weren't supposed to volunteer! You wasted that poor girl's hard work. There goes years of training down the drain."

"Well, afraid to burst your bubble honey, but things don't always work out the way you want to. We're not from the Capitol and we weren't pampered like you were. We get to places by taking action. Why do you think I volunteered?" Nikita snapped, not having the tolerance for Capitol airheads right now. The blonde tribute reclined on the chair and taking a sip from her glass. "I'm not going to get what I want hand to me on a silver platter, unlike you frump." 

The yellow-haired escort glowered at her and mumbled under her breath, "I can't wait for you to die." 

"Excuse me?" Nikita asked, hearing and standing up so abruptly and setting her glass down so quickly it fell over. The glass chipped in half. Manny pinned his best friend's arms back. "It's not worth it Kita, let it go," he pleaded, not wanting her to get in trouble before they even get to the Capitol. "There's Peacekeepers everywhere, you don't want to mess with them." 

She broke free and growled, "Fine. You're lucky you have your stupid Peacekeepers." Nikita stormed off, not bothering to pick up the glass and her two friends exchanged looks. Bretman looked ready to go talk to her, but Manny warned him, "Let her cool off. You know she has a short fuse." 

The escort rolled her eyes and left the compartment in the opposite direction, Manny and Bretman watching her leave. "This is certainly going to be a long week," Bretman groaned, massaging his temples. 

"Who pissed Nikita off this early after the Reapings?" a female voice behind them sighed, a hint of dismay in her tone. The two remaining tributes turned to find a tan muscular man donning an olive green button up and and black slacks. His companion was a woman with sharpened teeth inlaid with gold wearing a dark grey dress with matching heeled boots.

Those two were none other than two of the District's many Victors, Brutus and Enobaria.

"Vesta... she's upset that Nikita and I volunteered. Apparently it makes her look bad. No idea how though," Bretman answered, shrugging.

Brutus rolled his eyes. "Isn't everybody a little upset at the spectacle?" Enobaria frowned, but didn't make any comment. "I'll go talk to her," the female Victor grunted, turning on her heel.

Brutus stayed with the two boys, examining them with a strange intensity. As if he was trying to figure out what the hell he wants to do with these Careers.

He merely shook his head and sat down at one of the chairs, crossing his legs dad-style. "Disappointed? Livid? A bit of both?" Bretman inquired and the mentor's eyes slid to the teenager. "Bit of both, I presume."

Manny drummed his fingers on the table, lips pursed. Bretman cleared his throat and looked askance. Neither could carry on the conversation.

"A lot of people are going to hate you two, you know that right?" Brutus remarked, not referring to Bretman and Manny, but to Bretman and Nikita. "They shouldn't judge a book by its cover, we were doing Two a favor by not letting the other girl compete," Bretman echoed what his best friend had said earlier.

"You're setting yourself up for failure."

Bretman grinned, waving him off. "Oh honey, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

From the other side of the carriage door, a green eye watched the the mentor and mentee and in a flash, turned around and disappeared. 

~~~

District Eleven

"Jc, what the hell are you doing?" Kian asked, walking in on Jc laying on the hardwood floor face first.

He held up a peace sign and murmured, "We vibing."

His best friend sighed and walked out of the room again, shaking his head. "I'm not paid enough for this," he complained and he saw GloZell standing in the hallway.

"He's still trying to process it all?" she asked, crossing her arms and he nodded. "Yep. I'm trying to figure out ways to haul his ass out of that room. I would say I wish Chesley was here, but that's not what I want at all."

The girl laughed bitterly. "She made quite the ruckus back at the Justice Building when our loved ones were allowed that visitation hour to say our final goodbyes."

Kian looked like he was having a war flashback just thinking about that moment.

"ONE OF YOU TWO BETTER COME BACK OR I'M DRAGGING THE BOTH OF YOU OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF HELL JUST TO KILL YOU AGAIN!" Jc's girlfriend threatened, sobbing. Her boyfriend, stroking her hair as she clutched the two friends tightly.

"Alright miss, time's up, you have to leave," a Peacekeeper commanded, but Chelsey stubbornly stood there, refusing to let go.

They broke up the huddle and dragged her away from them and she protested, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" She struggled, tears streaming down her face. "NO! PLEASE JUST GIVE ME ANOTHER MINUTE!"

As she kicked and thrashed, the Peacekeepers calmly escorted her out of the building.

"JC, I LOVE YO-" The door slammed shut before she could finish . "I love you too, Chels," Jc whispered softly, tearing up. Kian wrapped his arms around his friend and let him cry.

They had requested getting their visitation hour together, if that's what you're wondering and surprisingly, they let them. Kian let out a sniffle and GloZell questioned, "You okay?"

He had completely forgotten that she was there. "Just peachy considering I'm about to be sent to my death with my best friend and competing against 35 other people for their life, the same way Corey died," he cracked keenly and her face fell. "I'm sorry about your friend."

He shrugged, looking at his toes. The moment was interrupted by a woman who dressed like a bat with her sheer cape dress with a high neck and keyhole cut out, pranced in, a bright smile on her face, sipping on what looked like...Caprisun?

"Welcome to death practice, I'm your mentor, Eden Noelle! Today we're gonna practice dying," the woman said cheerfully. Kian and GloZell blinked, looking down at her. 

"Cool," Jc answered, finally leaving his room and flashing her a smile.

"Jc-" Kian began.

"Kian, she's got a point-"

"I do. You kids have a 1 in 36 chance of survival and I want at least one of you to make it out of there alive. But you're among Careers, nerds and really brave idiots, so chances are that you are all gonna die-"

"Very motivational, Ms. Noelle," Kian interrupted dryly and she shot him a look before continuing on with her monologue.

"BUT that's why I'm here. I have one week with you. I want to make the most out of it. In one week, you'll go from sad saplings to less sad saplings. Now, do any of you have any useful skills that could help me out here? Or am I going to have to start from scratch? Oh and please, call me Eden. Miss Noelle makes me feel so ancient. Besides I'm like what, 4 years older than you?"

The tributes in front of her stared at the mentor, mouth agape. "What on this green earth-" GloZell started.

"If you think I'm bad, you haven't met the other mentors," Eden replied, knowing exactly what the girl was thinking.  "I think I'm pretty nice. Get some sleep you three, we're going to be in the Capitol tomorrow morning and I want y'all up at 6 am sharp. I'll have Edna break your door down if I have to if you're not up by then. Good night!" Eden beamed at her new mentees and threw them a peace sign before skipping away.

"She's...odd," GloZell managed out. "I like her," Jc said and Kian shrugged, not having much of an opinion. "I think I prefer her over someone like Chaff. He would drink more than help."

"You're not wrong," Kian agreed.

~~~

District Four 

Liza  was fixated on the rolling hills and mountainside outside the window. Lush trees covered the landscape with a flourish of warm colors. Daisy yellow, sunset orange, and apple red swirled together as the wind ruffled the leaves. She could barely hear the soft squeal of the machinery propelling her across the earth. 

She'd never seen such a sight, District Four was a seaside town, where you couldn't escape the smell of salt no matter how hard you tried. It was home though and suddenly she was longing to go back. Ironic, considering she came here on her own free will. Unlike many people, who were forced to compete in these deadly Games. 

 Liza tried not to think about who she would kill, knowing the time would come eventually. Would she be prepared to take another life just so she could have hers and live in financial comfort for the rest of her life? The Career had been told for many years that she would, but Liza wasn't sure. Taking someone's life also took a part of your own.

 Pushing herself away from the view, Liza wandered off to where the others where, presumably watching the Reapings recap. She should probably go see her competition, a few would be her allies after all. Temporary allies, but still allies nonetheless. 

~~~

Alex and Roi were sitting on the couch, eyes fixed on the hologram in front of them. It appeared to have just started, for the District One escort, Leto Lykaois was standing all by herself and a film was playing behind her.

"War....terrible, war," the voice began and Roi was tempted to roll his eyes at the propaganda that was about to be dumped on him. But the mentors,  a handsome tan man with sea green eyes that went by the name of Finnick  and Annie, a red-headed woman with green eyes, were there (though Annie probably wasn't there to mentor, but rather to be with Finnick) and District Four's escort, Twinkle was present. He was more concerned about pissing her off. 

"Widows, orphans, motherless children were what was left in the aftermath of the rebellion.This was the uprising that rocked our land." 

"Thirteen Districts rebelled against the Capitol that loved them. Protected them. Fed them. Brother was pitted against brother, sister against sister until nothing remained. Families, torn apart by this tragedy."

 Love? Protect? Feed? Utter bull crap, if you asked him. But he didn't say that out loud and kept these thoughts to himself. He heard Alex let out a little snort, but covered it with a cough as Twinkle looked at him. 

"The traitors were defeated and only twelve Districts remained, the thirteenth obliterated. A people rose from the ashes of our nation and a new era was born. A Golden Era..." 

Please, if anything, things only got worse after the war.

"But freedom came at a cost, the nation not wanting a repeat of those treasonous rebels again. So then the Hunger Games were born. Every year, the twelve remaining Districts offered up a young man and woman to fight in a pagent of honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victor became a symbol of the phoenix that rose from the ashes and the generosity and forgiveness of the Capitol."

Right....pitting 24 children every year and making them fight to the death is merciful and generous. Well, 36 this year... 

~~~

After watching the Reaping recap, Alex wasn't sure of what to think. To say that this was an interesting mix was the understatement of the century.

He had a feeling that this was going to be a very memorable Game that he hoped he would live past. Fingers crossed that would happen. Then again, if he lived, that means his best friend dies.

Alex frowned, not wanting to think about it, but knew he kind of had to. There was no way he could just let Roi die, not after all the things they've been through together. At the same time, he himself didn't want to die.

He heard soft crying behind him and saw Annie sobbing, likely a little traumatized by watching the Reapings and remembering her own. And when one thinks of the Reapings, they often think about the actual Games themselves.

And she had watched her District partner get beheaded and as a result... well, Alex didn't want to say 'went mad', but was scarred by it.

Finnick put an arm around her, concerned. He kissed the red-head's temple and murmured something in her ear and eventually, she calmed down.

It saddened him that it was people like him who caused these kinds of things.

~~~

District Eight

"Do you think I have a shot of making it back to District Eight alive?" Andrea (B) asked out loud to herself.

"Probably not, let's be real," a male voice cracked and she glanced to her left, where Jesse was standing. Her face fell and she answered, "Rude. But you're not wrong. I don't have much faith in myself either."

"I mean, who would root for us when you have Careers or deadly geniuses?" Jesse snarked half-jokingly. "Literally everyone does better than we do cause what are we gonna do? Stab people with sewing needles?"

The younger girl laughed lightly, elbowing him. "I'll be sure to take down a 200-pound Career with a machete in their hand with a tiny little needle."

"We're dying aren't we?"

"Oh no doubt about it."

"Y'all are such debbie downers and it's depressing to watch," Lauren exhaled, approaching them. She hadn't spoken a word since the Reapings. The blonde had been sitting on the back seat mooning out the window.

"There isn't exactly room for positivity when we're being sent to our deaths, Lauren," Jesse reminded her and she rolled her eyes. "I know, but instead of moping you could, I don't know, strategize? Find what your strengths are and use it as an asset for the Games?"

"I'm too unmotivated for that kind of planning, Lauren. Besides, people have probably done that for the past seventy-five years and they're still dead," Andrea sniped.

"Seventy-five years," Jesse mused, crossing his legs. "And the Games are still around. How has the Capitol gotten away with this for 3/4 of a century?"

"You know why. Rebellions are few and far in between and there's never enough rebels that are willing to go under the banner of the cause. Capitol will kill them all or turn them into Avoxes. Or make them wish they were dead," Lauren answered.

"It's so barbaric. Families are destroyed by their children being slaughtered and they display it on live television for petty entertainment. What kind of sick people would relish that?" Andrea scoffed and the others frowned.

"It's a cruel world out there. I can't believe people would be okay with this kind of baloney." The three of them laughed bitterly, wanting the Capitol to feel what they did, the fear, the anxiety, even if it's just for a little while. Wanted them to eat just a little of the same poison they were so happy for them to swallow daily. Maybe it'll educate those freaks, maybe they'll learn nothing, but maybe, just maybe, some of Panem's bitterness will ebb.

 Tatiana decided to stroll in so they dropped the topic. The escort noticed their sudden silence and frowned. "What were you three chit-chatting about?" the navy-haired woman asked, who had changed into a navy and black feathered ensemble, complete with thigh-high black boots. 

"Just... how excited we are to be heading to the Capitol!" Andrea chimed brightly. A little too brightly for Tatiana narrowed her eyes, but shrugged it off. "Many tributes from Eight would often be sobbing their eyes out like little babies. A nice change of scenery to see dry eyes for once." The three teenagers looked at each other, knowing she wouldn't have preferred to hear what 'treasonous' things they were talking about.

~~~

District Six

"What is this stuff? It's delicious," Tim said in awe, eating a dark brown substance.Placed in the mouth, the silky-smooth texture that comes forth brings nothing but pure bliss. The plausible taste of true love, the perfect mix of bitter and sweet with a tinge of mint is pure luxury.

"You've never had chocolate?" Sierra questioned, caught off-guard. Though she snatched some of it for herself and took a bite. She reclined casually on the chair she was sitting in, as if she was used to the luxury. Chances were that Sierra was used to it, but not at this level it seemed. The look on her face gave that away.

"Well sorry, not everyone is the Mayor's daughter and eats this kind of stuff." The younger girl flinched and he almost regretted sounding a little malicious. Yet Tim didn't take it back. "What do you eat then?" 

He shrugged. "Bread. Stale apples. If my family's lucky, beans." Sierra scrunched her nose in sympathy. "That sounds awful."

"I bet you're happy with being Reaped then, you get to live like a king before being sent to the slaughter like a little pig," chortled Bellina, the escort. Tim flushed red and didn't answer, completely forgetting that she was babysitting them. Daniel was in his compartment sleeping the day away and their mentors, nicknamed, 'The Morphlings' were nowhere to be found. 

"Leave him alone, Bellina. He did nothing to you, don't be so vile," Sierra chastised her and Tim elbowed her, pleading her to stop. "It's fine, I'm used to it."

Her blue eyes flickered to him and her frown deepened. 

~~~

Daniel's room was huge. The bed was king-sized with pure white, cotton sheets. He had his own desk, a thirty-six-inch TV,  a sprawling leather sofa and a bureau with three drawers to the right hand side.

"Damn if this is what the train looks like, I can't even begin to envision the Training Center," Daniel marveled, squishing down the feeling of dread that was crawling inside him. He wanted to enjoy it and savor the opulence but at the same time didn't want to associate with the Capitol in any way. But it was tempting. Like really tempting. He walked into the bathroom.

The bathroom contained gleaming granite counter tops, walnut framed mirrors, walk in shower room with over-sized shower head, fluffy towels neatly arranged, tile floor with under-floor heating, fluffy bath mat and a wicker laundry basket.

"I should at least shower right?" he muttered, turning back to the bedroom and opening the bureau. 

Daniel walked leisurely to the shower, steam filling the room as he turned the shower on. His mind was in shreds and the shower only made things worse. After his shower was finished and he had slumped into bed, he lay there, reliving the Reapings over and over.

Daniel reverently rubbed her fingers along the silken mattress. He pressed his cheek to the cool, velvet pillows. The comforter was thick and irresistibly soft, like a billowing cloud. He toppled into it, relieved to rest his weary feet. Warmth and darkness enveloped him and soon, succumbed to the call of sleep.

~~~

District Seven

 They were on their way onto the train in a car. Oli had never been in a car before, but was such a wreck that he couldn't even revel in the moment. Then again, it wasn't really a car, it was more like a limousine. Oli felt ridiculous sitting alone in the long, narrow compartment with two leather seats facing each other. It was nothing like a car at all actually- she was glad that the windows, like the driver's glasses, were darkened. Nobody was able to see the inside from outside. 

Sabrina was prattling about how excited she was for this year's Games, but no one was listening. He watched his home skid right past him in a blur. 

The evergreen trees framed the road of the town. Tall tree trunks sharpened to a point, constructed the walls around the border of the town, that were posted in the ground so close to each other that light could not go through the space between them. The soft sandy colors of the plaster, used on the thatched houses which the town consisted of whoosed by and soon, the sighs became unfamiliar.

 Oli especially liked the flowers that grew in every window box. The sweet fragrance circulated through the streets masking the unavoidable musk of horse manure. People lined the streets, desperately trying to get a glimpse of the faces that would be representing them this year, but the tinted windows prevented them from doing so. He was squished by the window by Teala and Sarah, who were oddly silent. 

The two were best friends, he expected them to make some small talk with each other, but perhaps the crushing weight of their little world crumbling beneath their feet prevented them from even talking to each other. It saddened him that these two were going to be separated, one way or another. 

Eventually, the train station came into view and Sabrina demanded, "Everyone out! Smiles on! We're about to head to the Capitol! Aren't you all excited?" Teala pursed her lips and Sarah fidgeted, signaling that they weren't. He opened the door to his side of the door and got out. 

Teala followed, but struggled to get up because of her ankle. She winced in pain as she started walking and her fellow tribute asked, "You okay?" 

She waved him off. "Capitol will probably heal it with their high-tech stuff." She limped away to the train station, ankle dragging behind.

All was about to go to pot, honestly.

~~~

Teala was relieved when she finally got to sit down. She adjusted herself on the seat and looked at her reflection in the mirror, hair still in an intricate braid. The girl pulled off the hair tie that was keeping it all together and untangled the weave of braids, running her fingers through her curls. "This has got to be the craziest day of my life," Sarah groaned, flopping onto the bed. "If the beds weren't so comfortable, I'd probably be punching the wall or doing something stupid." 

The brown and blonde haired girl hugged the pillow tightly, closing her eyes. "Yeah... it is." 

And the worst.

They would've carried on, but Sarah already fell asleep and Teala sighed, letting her dark thoughts creep in.

The other two must have a sliver of hope that they might return, but she had none. District Seven kids, while having an advantage when it comes to the Hunger Games skill-wise, but are at a disadvantage because Careers often hunt them down first. And since he is from District Seven, a huge target's going to be painted on his back.

Even if they made it out of the bloodbath, Careers were relentless. And motivated. So it was likely they dropped dead within the first few days. Oli clenched his teeth, dread filling his stomach. She didn't want to die. She wasn't ready to go yet. The girl looked down at his shaking heads and tried to steady them.

Yes, she was going to die. And as per usual, no one would save him from that.

~~~

District Three

As soon as they got onto the train and were unsupervised, Safiya immediately dropped her smile and turned to her boyfriend, slapping him on the face. Hard. 

"YOU MORONIC DINGUS!" she screamed, bursting into tears. There was something in that shout, a pain behind it. Tyler watched. He watched her eyes. Then he knew. The anger was nothing but a shield for pain, like a cornered soldier.

Eva gave the couple a spooked look and fled the scene, not in the mood to be in the middle of a lovers' quarrel. So she went to find Beetee. Or Wiress. Or anybody in general that could get her away from the situation. 

"Saf..." Tyler began, rubbing his cheek.

"Tyler f*cking Williams, don't you dare 'Saf' me right now." To say that she was outraged was a huge understatement. "YOU PROMISE ME YOU WOULDN'T DO IT. YOU PROMISED." 

"I know, but-"

"I can't even look at you right now." Safiya stormed off the carriage, the door sliding open and shut silently. Tyler watched as she left, hearing her sniffles fade. He exhaled, going to look out his home District one last time, knowing he won't see it again. Even if he had a chance of survival, there was no way he'd let himself live. That wasn't the reason he volunteered

The cityscape was unapologetically urban. There were no trees or city planted blooms, just monoliths of concrete soaring out of the sidewalk in an exact grid pattern. At night it was beautiful in it's own way, so many lights. By day you relied on the sky to let you know that it wasn't a monochromatic world; just one in which the people were too busy for art. 

That's what you get when your District relies on technology. Lots of minimalistic geniuses running about the streets, making the next best thing for the Capitol. 

"That was very brave of you," a voice said behind him and he nearly jumped out of his skin. It was Calliope, the only escort Tyler could actually stand. She felt down-to-earth and more human than alien. At least, that's what he observed over the years. 

"It's nothing, really. She would have done the same, no matter how angry she is at me," Tyler admitted and as he turned back, he felt her eyes on him. 

After a few brief seconds of silence, she asked,"May I offer you some advice? For the Games?" He looked and nodded. "Sure."

"I can see you're a good person, Tyler. So rare in a world like this. Don't let the Games change you. Stick to your morals. Don't kill unless you have to." He paused for a moment, mulling over her words, debating if she was just strategizing for him or she was saying it because she genuinely thought that of him. Knowing the kind of mess he dumped upon himself, the former seemed more likely.

"I will. Thank you." 

"I wish many blessings along your way, child. May the stars align in your favor." She left and Tyler noticed how it was so similar yet different to what the usual Capitol phrase, 'May the odds ever be in your favor.'

~~~

"Still mad at him?" Eva asked, noticing Safiya sitting with her arms crossed and sulking out the window. The older girl didn't respond so she assumed the answer was yes. Eva sat in the spot next to her saying, "You know why he did it, you can't stay mad at him forever." 

Safiya finally said something after the whole train wreck back there (pun definitely intended)

"And I know why he agreed to promise me that he wouldn't. Because he didn't think it would actually happen," she grumbled. "I can't believe him." Safiya paused. "Actually, I can." 

"Would you have done the same if your roles were reversed?" 

Safiya sighed. "I sound like a hypocrite, but without hesitation, yes. It's just that... I don't want to lose him. I would do anything to get him out of that arena alive, but he'd rather throw himself off a cliff a thousand times over than let me die for him to live." She sniffled, trying not to cry again. "If he died, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Knowing it's my fault. That's why I'm so furious at him. Knowing that at least one of us has to die. I just can't bring myself to think that he..."

She fell silent, not wanting to say anything more and Eva nodded, showing her that she understood. "I get it. But I think you two should at least talk." 

She laughed sadly. "I know, I just wanted to make him squirm a little." Safiya stood and left the room, going to find Tyler.

Fortunately, he was still in the same carriage she slapped him in, eyes flicking to her as soon as she entered, eyes locking. She folded her arms across her chest and he rolled his eyes. Wordlessly, he opened his arms up and she couldn't help but immediately fall into them. Brick by brick, her walls came tumbling down.

"I hate you so much," she whispered.

"I love you too." She closed her eyes and the two stayed in each other's embrace in silence, for there was nothing more to be said. Safiya let herself put her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat against it. Safiya tried to think happy thoughts, like how homey his arms felt around her. Or how she could forget the world for just a moment right here, right now and focus on him.

Instead, Safiya couldn't help but worry that his heart won't beating in a week's time.

~~~

District Nine

Matt felt his jaw drop as he walked onto the train, richly decorated. The carpet was a fuzzy golden, his feet sinking in its plush softness. Artful masterpieces of District Nine hung on the walls. The wheat fields looked like they could teleport him back home, where everything was safe and sound. Those golden ears had absorbed the rich sunshine, good seeds from a humble earth.

He missed it already. His hand flew to his pocket, feeling the thing inside it. His parents gave it to him, it was a family heirloom, they said. From his grandmother, who had unfortunately passed a few years prior. They wanted Matt to have it. For good luck. 

"Don't get to used to it darlings, it's only a week," Justice prompted them with a grin, perceiving their gawking. "Enjoy it while it lasts. You won't see anything like this ever again." She cackled and strolled off, heels clacking on the floor. 

Stephanie scowled, taking her boyfriend's arm. "Well isn't she a ray of sunshine," she commented sarcastically. Matt laughed and Rosanna was curiously wordless, inspecting an orange and purple flower that resembled a lily, weeping. 

The couple detected her sadness and broke apart from their link, pulling Ro into a group hug. "Oh Ro," Stephanie said, stroking her hair. "It's okay, let it out."

"He-he came to say g-g-goodbye," Rosanna wailed, not needing to say who it was for them to comprehend. "And h-he said that e-e-everything would be fine and that I-I would su-survive, that I was st-stronger than I thought, but we b-both knew that's a l-li-lie." They didn't retort, not knowing how to console Matt's sister. "He-he gave me this s-s-stupid flower saying that it would pr-pr-protect me, but how is it go-going to d-d-do that? I'm going to die!" 

Rosanna broke free and threw the flower on the ground, whizzing on out of the compartment. Stephanie rushed after her to check up on her and Matt was left alone. Rosanna used to always have a smile on her face and was so effervescent. That was before the Games that took Molly and her parents. Now she was broken and Matt thought he could pick up the pieces.

Now he never would. He plucked the flower from the ground and studied it carefully, his brain telling him that there was a reason why Mike gave her the flower. Lilies weren't even her favorites, so why would he...

A lightbulb went off in his mind. That sneaky little fink.

~~~

"Hellooo tributes! Are you ready to start preparing for your inevitable deaths?" their blonde Victor greeted them with a winning smile. Rosanna twitched in her seat and Stephanie and Matt laughed nervously, bracing themselves for the one and only Vanessa Brambleberry.

The young woman was wearing a draped lilac dress with an A-line silhouette and v-neck. She skipped around to a chair with more energy than Stephanie's ever had in her entire life. "So Matt, Rosanna and Stephanie, correct?" she confirmed, pointing at the tribute as she said their names. They all bobbed their heads and she smiled in relief that she got it right.

"Okay good, Alana would've smacked me in the head if I got it wrong." 

"Astaroth?" Stephanie asked and the mentor nodded, confirming that it was indeed the 72nd Victor. "She's a real b*tch, but don't tell her I said that," Vanessa whispered, snickering.

"Got any tips for how to survive the Hunger Games?" Matt asked, wanting to get straight to the point and she held a finger up. "Yeah I do actually. Number one: Don't die."

"Wow, didn't know we have to do that. Such a helpful tip," he cracked cuttingly and his girlfriend jostled him in the ribs, glaring at him in a 'Shut the hell up or I'll make you' kind of way. The petite brunette to his right didn't seem to be paying attention, staring off into the distance glassily. 

The blonde seemed to detect that so she asked fretfully, "You okay, honey? Do you need to get some fresh air?"

She shook her head and the Victor's gaze lingered on her for a little longer before she decided to let it go. "Alright, let me give you some real tips from the best Victor to ever exist: me."Vanessa flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Rule number one: Never cry in front of the cameras, you'll be seen as weak. Wait until the cameras are off and you can cry yourself to sleep like I do every single night." 

The three gave her worried looks, but didn't make any commentary.

~~~

District Five

"This is going to be fun," Matt (H) commented sardonically. "Don't talk to me," Lele snapped sourly and he raised his hands in surrender. Justine winced, sensing the tension, but didn't say anything just in case a fight was provoked.

Matt backed up a bit. "Woah, easy there. I was just messing with you, what's up your arse?" 

She glared daggers at him, brown eyes full of venom. "You. That's what." 

He pointed to himself, astonished. "Me? What did I ever do to you?"

"You know what you did," she snarled, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder.  Matt looked puzzled and brushed it off, writing it off as Lele just being Lele. She always had this attitude when she was around him and Matt couldn't quite place a finger on why. 

Then an Asian girl who looked a few years older than the three tributes walked in, wearing a black tulle dress with glittery gold stars and puffed sleeves. Frowning, Alana noticed that the three didn't even acknowledge her as she walked in. Sighing, she stabbed it into the table, getting the attention of the three teenagers.

Justine jumped, refraining from running off and hiding behind something just in case her own mentor decided to stab her. "Poor mahogany table," she whispered.

 "Hello you sad disappointments. I'm sure you know who I am but in case you have the memory of a goldfish and live under a rock, the name's Alana Astaroth and I'll be your mentor. Now, before we begin, do any of you have any skills whatsoever that might be useful or are you all incompetent and will need to start from scratch?" she asked, yanking out the dagger and crossing her arms. 

They were quiet, not knowing what to say. Even Lele didn't say anything. The compartment door opened and a few servers walked in, setting dinner out voicelessly. "Thank you," Alana said to them and they merely nodded before exiting. There was a young brunette server who seemed slightly familiar to them, but she ducked her head before anybody could get a good look at her face.

~~~

Justine was ripping through the trees, scared for her life. Hiding in the clump of trees, she hoped it would provide enough coverage. She closed her eyes, breaths becoming shaky. Tears of fear slid down her cheeks as she gasped for breath, tired from running. 

"Come out, come out wherever you are," a voice cooed. "I know you're around here somewhere, Ezarik." The blonde girl was shaking, hoping that whoever was chasing her wouldn't see her. 

"I'll find you, you can't hide forever!" She heard cackling and started running again, wishing she knew how to climb a darn tree. That wasn't an option though, she'd plummet to her death and snap her neck. So Justine could only stay on the ground and pray that the killer would get tired enough to stop pursuing her or she got far away enough to escape the cruel clutches of death. 

"Come out and play, Justine! Let me have my fun!" 

Justine covered her mouth and let out a muffled cry. Then she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her back. "Found you," the voice said gleefully.

The knife met flesh, soft and pudgy, and made a squish as the tip of the blade sank deep enough to make her scream. They twisted the blade their my hands, all the while sinking it deeper and deeper. Her skin was tearing to shreds as the knife rotated, the sound of her muscles and nerves being gouged growing louder. Then, without warning, the shadow jerked it all the way into her back, until the shiny metal had disappeared inside her and the black handle was pushing against her broken skin. Her cry was a horrific sound, guttural chokes mixed with an agonized roar. The shadow smirked in satisfaction pulled the blade out of their now deathly white victim. She sank to her knees, continuing to scream, convulsing and trembling like a rabid animal and thick blood flowing freely from the gaping hole in her back. The cascade of the girl's life source gushed out in all directions, scarlet liquid squirting up all over the shadow. They turned away as her plead for mercy became quieter.

Justine jerked awake, screaming her head off. She was terrified. And they haven't even arrived at the Capitol yet. She was still on the train.

The District Five girl doubted that she would ever ride another train again.She burst into tears, pulling her knees to her chest. It had felt so real. Was that how she was going to die in the Games? Being chased?

She didn't want to know. 

~~~

District Ten

Colleen fiddled with the little ring her parents gave her before she left. The gem was a topaz, her birthstone. She rubbed her eyes, exhausted. She hadn't been able to sleep the night before, her mind too full for sleep, thinking about the issue. The issue that was waiting for her in the Capitol.  

Being Reaped into the Hunger Games was an issue, like every other teenager's she saw on that screen in front of their Justice Building. Millions of questions had been flooding her mind, Colleen trying to figure out a plan. Any plan.

How would she survive? Should she have allies? She sighed, knowing that she'd have Shane and Garett, so that was a definite yes. A temporary one of course, but one none the less. Would she be able to kill her own friends though? 

The rest of the world would probably say that it would only get worse for the three friends, to spare themselves of the drama of pretending they actually cared for each other. Those clowns would say that they really don't when push comes to shove, but do they really know what friendship is?

"Hey Colleen," Garett said, pulling Colleen from her inner monologue. "Hey," she answered coolly, acting like she didn't think about the inevitable deaths of her friends if she wanted to live. 

Gosh, she was a terrible friend, wasn't she? 

 "You nervous? Iggy says we're arriving in a few hours or so." She shrugged. "Kinda. Mostly nervous to see our competition, you know? Especially the Careers. They're stronger, faster, meaner. Trying to see if we could take them down in any way." 

That last part was kind of a lie, but she did want to get of those Careers. Those bastards were always so annoying and ruthless. They had an unfair advantage too and if they died... well, the field evened out a little more in Colleen's opinion.

"Interesting," Garett commented. "Whatever plan you have, if I'm still alive, I got your back, you know that right?" She nodded. "You deserve to live more than I do anyway. If it came down to it, I'd die for you." Colleen looked at him in shock, feeling guilty that she was having the thoughts that she did.

At the same time, fear of death is instinctive. Fight or flight. Drives these kids to kill each other for even a sliver of hope of seeing their homes again. Their families. Friends. If the tribute was a bit older, maybe even a lover. 

Colleen would never kill either of them, but she doesn't know if she could die for them. 

~~~

Shane brought the fresh, warm bread to his nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. Picking up a knife, he applied copious amounts of thick, creamy yellow butter. He spooned out a dollop of sweet, tangy blackberry jelly. Shane slathered the sweet mixture onto the spongy white bread. He ripped off a chunk, stuffing the piece into his mouth. It was soft and warm. The pleasant smoothness of the butter blended perfectly with the bitter-sweet taste of black berries. He couldn't enjoy it for long though, dark thoughts creeping into his mind.

He had to have a strategy of some kind. He was pretty smart, the Capitol would be interested in that. Shane had stayed up last night watching the Reapings repeatedly, studying every emotion that flashed on his future enemies' faces. Sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, triumph, love. 

It was all there. He read them as soon as he saw them, taking notes on who he wanted as an ally based on the Reapings alone. He couldn't make his choices until he saw them in training though. Maybe he could slither his way into the Career pack if he played his cards right. Admittedly he has used weapons before.

Shane needed strong people in his alliance. Colleen and Garett were exceptions, they were his best friends. He would need to kill his allies he would make before they decided to turn and kill him. What day though? The Games usually lasted more than a week, landing at about two or three weeks long.

Day Eight sounded like a good day to sabotage. Yes, that would work perfectly. Long enough to get him on his feet in the arena, but not long enough to let them kill him.

"You good Shane? You've got that look on your face," Garett remarked and Shane answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it, it's just nerves." 

His best friend didn't really buy it, but shrugged it off.

~~~

District One

The two Careers and wildcard were all given their separate rooms and bathrooms for the journey to the city of blood-thirsty goons. Also known as the wonderful Capitol. Tana looked around at the turquoise walls and lilac carpet as she awakened from her slumber. She hadn't expected it to be so full of color, but she wasn't mad about it. She was expecting something more sleek and black and white, but the room was pretty... girly. 

There was a chestnut bureau and Tana pulled it open, drawers filled to the brim with clothing. She chose whatever was on the top that looked presentable enough , too lazy to play dress-up. She stepped over her white heels that she had carelessly left on the floor last night.

Opening the door to the bathroom, she undressed and stepped into the shower, letting her curiosity get the best of her, never seeing so many buttons and panels in a shower before. Which turned out to be a mistake, but she didn't care.

The water pours down, it dripped by her side, as her mind faded into dullness and everything is a foggy illusion. The sensation of the steamy water calms her; it takes her mind of things. All the things Tana honestly doesn't care about. It's the water. Her mind swirls, and it's like Tana's standing under an everlasting waterfall. Ever so beautiful, but it can never last, she knows that now.

She didn't let herself even think about what was waiting for her or what happened yesterdau. She shut all those thoughts out as she was pelted by different perfumes, oils, scent and water. Tana would certainly never forget the experience, though the blonde can't say it was the best. 

After being viciously attacked by the shower, Tana stepped out, wrapping herself in a fluffy white towel. "Never messing with the panels again," she grumped, stepping onto a mat, shocking her by automatically starting to dry her. 

What the hell is it with Capitol technology? 

Her hair was left fluffy and dry after the whole ordeal and she let out an impressed sound. Even  One didn't have anything like this and they were the richest District besides Two. She put on the red dress with black eyelets along the waist and chest. 

Stepping out, she heard Leto pounding on her door, telling her to hurry up. Tana took a deep breath and opened the door.

~~

If Destorm was completely honest, Destorm wasn't looking forward to looking like an absolute buffoon tonight. Tana, Gabbie and Destorm were to be parading in front of the entire country of Panem. 

"It's a shame we don't have someone like Cinna," Gabbie complained, as if she read his thoughts. "He would have made us look unforgettable. Like last year with Katniss and what-his-face. Peter?" 

"Peeta," he corrected stiffly and Gabbie answered, "Whatever," as she took a gulp from her mug, the contents seeming to be coffee. Coffee was rare even in One. Tana was nowhere to be found, but that was no stupefaction. She was tardy to everything from school to parties.

Gabbie took a bite out of the toast and after swallowing said, "What ensemble do you think they'll force us to wear this year?" 

He wrinkled his nose in disgust deliberating over previous chariot outfits. "Hopefully not feathers. I do not want to look like a bird, thank you very much. Or fur. We're not animals."

"I wouldn't mind the feathers, but I don't know how I would feel about fur." At that moment, Tana decided to finally show her face and plopped a seat next to her best friend, grabbing a muffin on the table and stuffing her face with it. The Victors that were mentoring them, the dastardly sibling duo Cashmere and Gloss, hadn't made an appearance in the dining car yet.

They all fell quiet, enjoying the food. A blonde woman in her late-twenties stepped in, looking camera-ready with her plunging black and gold brocaded dress, towering black heels on her feet. She fiddled with her jewelry and repeated what Tana had said earlier, but with more instructions. "We're arriving in a few minutes, so be on your best behavior, especially when the cameras are rolling and you are with your stylists. No arguments, they know what they're doing. Let them do whatever they want. Got it?"

After a chorus of 'yes', she nodded in satisfaction and sat down herself.

~~~

Meanwhile in the Capitol, Assistant Gamemaker Alison Silvano watched as the trains started pulling in. Eyeing the tributes that stepped off, she watched their first reactions to the Capitol from the screen. She got a message from her communicuff,  sent by the Events Coordinator, Aurora Nelson. 

First batch of tributes are arriving at the Training Center. Graceffa wants to speak to you and Heavensbee. 

She sighed, bracing herself as she saw another train pull in. "We have an interesting bunch this year, don't we?" a voice asked and she turned, finding the Head Gamemaker himself standing there. 

"Indeed."