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Chapter Text

     The air was quiet in the countryside of District Nine as night fell over the fields. Jonathan and Argyle laid alone, smoking flower as they each silently thought about the reaping that was sure to come. Both boys came from families with little resources. Jonathan’s name was in the bowl twenty six times at sixteen years old. Argyle, also sixteen, had his name fifteen times. Both boys applied for tesserae for their families. Even with Jonathan’s younger brother, Will, was now at reaping age, he wouldn’t allow him to even take on his own tesserae. 

     “I’m just nervous, Argyle, I’ve done everything I could and it still might not be enough. I’ve seen them take twelve year olds even from our district before,” Jonathan said softly as the two of them laid close together, letting the tall grass wave over them. 

     “It’s not like that, Jonathan. Will is gonna be just fine,” Argyle said. Jonathan drew in a shaky breath and looked up at the boy next to him, laying his head back down on Argyle’s chest before he spoke the dreaded question out loud. 

     “And us?” Jonathan asked. Argyle placed his hand in Jonathan’s hair and played with it silently for a moment in an attempt to calm the other boy’s nerves. 

     “Look, man, whatever they throw our way, we can catch it. I don’t play into that shit anyways. It never plays in my home, I avoid the markets and the square when it’s on. I shop underground just so that I never have to see it. Those people want us to look forward to it every year, but I’ve never even seen one. My mother was always super against it and we avoided it at all costs,” Argyle told him. Jonathan nodded and pulled himself closer to Argyle. The two of them watched the stars pass as they nearly nodded off in Argyle’s family field. 

     “Let me walk you home, Jonathan,” Argyle whispered as time ticked slowly by. Jonathan stood up, stretched and walked side by side with Argyle from the field through the town. They passed the town hall where peacekeepers were already hard at work setting up the stage for the next day's event. They passed the Wheeler’s house that Jonathan knew all too well. His little brother, Will, was best friends with the Wheeler's son, Mike. The Wheeler’s were much better off than most of the District Nine families. Even from their house you could tell that they were very lucky people. Jonathan was almost jealous, but all of the Wheeler Family made an effort to keep humble. Even Mike’s older sister, Nancy, made an effort to make conversation when Jonathan would pick up his brother from their house. As the pair passed the house, Jonathan noticed a light on in the second floor bedroom. As he watched, he noticed Nancy, sitting in her window seat, watching the world pass by outside her window. 

     Nancy never felt justified in her nerves the night before any reaping, but that didn’t stop the nerves from coming. She would lay awake all night thinking of who she could lose in the games, or if she would be picked herself. This year, however, she worried the most about her little brother, Mike. Mike was a smart, strong and confident kid, but he was only a kid. Sure, he was as obnoxious as any other twelve year old boy Nancy ever knew, but he was her only brother and she loved him very much. She wondered silently if he was sleeping soundly, believing their parents baseless claims that everything would be alright. That there was no possible way for either of them to go. Their parents were always adamant that they had done everything possible to keep their kids out of the games. 

     Of course, Nancy used to believe that meant her chances were less than zero, but as she got older she realized she had just as much of a chance as any other kid from a decent family. She thought about families like the Byers, who were close with her little brother. Families who had nothing to spare and had to take out extra rations anywhere they could. She had heard rumors that the oldest brother Jonathan would even sell his name for extra credits to pay for things for his family. She thought about how many times his name must be tossed around in that bowl with the one that had her brother’s name on it. She hated the comfort that brought her. 

     She knew exactly how the next morning would go. She had a dress laid out, baby blue and white, and she would tie her hair up into a ribbon that matched it. She would wear her white heels that she never got to wear to school for fear of scuffing them up. She would be dressed like she was attending a gala of some type or a celebratory dinner with her parents' friends. Then, she would make sure Mike looked presentable and she would walk them downtown with their parents, stopping to say hello to everyone their parents knew and allowing all their wishes of luck. Luck was all they would have in the morning. She would look for her friends as they separated the boys from the girls and then into their age groups and everything would be a waiting game. 

     She lifted her dress from where it hung on her closet door and studied it. She had worn it a couple of times to only high scale events. Her mother wouldn’t let her be seen at the reaping in a dress she had worn to school. Without her mother’s influence, if she could pick what she wore, she would wear a business suit. Something with a jacket and a skirt. She felt they made her look older, more mature. The girly dresses made her look young and naive, an image she always fought against. 

     Through the walls, she could hear the two boys talking and playing and even laughing. It made her feel a little less nervous and a little more grateful. She imagined that maybe the boys weren’t afraid as she had grown to be. Maybe they were only kids. 

     Mike messed with the antennas on his radio, hoping to receive any kind of signal outside of his district, but everything came through as the same story on repeat. All over Panem the same message was being broadcast. Reaping times, excitement surrounding the 99th year, tales of past tributes. Everything about it was making Will visibly nervous, so Mike put the antenna down and shut the radio off. 

     “It’s not as fun tonight, huh?” He asked Will, trying to lighten the mood. Will laughed a little and nodded. He sat on the floor in front of Mike’s bed, drawing silently with a set of old pencils. Mike stood up from his place on the bed and walked over to his dresser to retrieve a small glass jar. He brought it over and sat next to Will on the floor, looking over his shoulder at the drawing. 

     “Will, is that our characters?” Mike asked with a wide smile. Will looked up from his drawing and smiled, nodding his head in response. Mike studied the picture and Will began to explain everything to him. 

     “See this is from the part where our characters go to the place with all the digital games. And this is the machine that shows all the top scores, look you are in first place,” Will said, handing the drawing to Mike. 

     “Oh and this one is where we made the coolest costumes and we wore them to school so we could show them off, but no one else dressed up. It was okay though because here you can see we had so much fun and got all kinds of candy from around the neighborhood,” Will showed him. 

     “Oh yeah, the Halloween part. I remember that,” Mike said. Mike had spent time creating an alternate world for them to play pretend in, so they could escape their day to day lives in Panem. Will spent his time bringing the vision to life through his art. Will stayed quiet and Mike placed the drawing back on the pile, freeing his hand so he could place it on Will’s shoulder. 

     “It’ll be okay, Will. I mean there are so many kids in District nine. I heard that Jack L. has his name in the bowl 100 times. That’s way more than you,” Mike told him. 

     “I’m worried about Jonathan, not me,” Will whispered to him.

     “Oh, well that’s like way more than Jonathan, too. I bet you anything that Jack goes this year and wins the whole thing. Put district nine on the map, right?” Mike said lightheartedly, hoping to help, even a little. 

     “Michael! Will! Jonathan’s here!” Karen called up to them. Will gathered his pencils, his paper and the couple of toys he had brought for them and placed them into his old school bag. 

     “Hey, Will I almost forgot. My mom bought me these for my first reaping. Take one, they’re chocolates. This one has caramel inside and I think this one has nuts in it,” Mike said, pulling candies out of his small jar. Each flavor was wrapped in a different color, so Mike could easily identify them. 

     “No way are these real?” Will asked. Mike smiled and dumped a few into his hands. 

     “Yeah they are. Here take these, they’re the best,” Mike told him. 

     “Are you sure?” Will asked. He had never had chocolate before, but he didn’t want his friend to give him something out of pressure or guilt. 

     “No, take it. My first thought when my mom brought them home was how I couldn’t wait to share them with you. I’ll bring the rest tomorrow and we can have some for after the reaping, okay?” Mike said, placing two of the candies in his hand. Caramel and milk chocolate. Will held them in his hand and walked with Mike to his front door where Jonathan was waiting for his brother in the doorway. 

     “We’ll see you boys tomorrow, okay?” Karen called after them as they left. 

      “Goodnight, Will,” Mike yelled after him. 

     “Goodnight, Mike!” Will called back. 

     The two boys left the Wheeler house and headed home. Will pulled out the candies, showing them to his brother with a bright excitement on his face. Jonathan smiled widely at him as he looked at the colored packaging. 

      “That’s really cool, Will. Did Mike give you those?” Jonathan asked him. 

     “Yeah this one is caramel and this one is just chocolate. You want one?” Will asked him.

      “No, Will, Mike wants you to have them, and how will you know which one you like if you don’t try both of them? It’ll be like good luck from Mike,” Jonathan said. Will unwrapped the caramel candy and split it down the middle, letting the filling spill all over his fingers. He handed half to Jonathan who looked at him with confusion. 

      “Will,” Jonathan started before Will interrupted.

      “I already split it,” Will said. Jonathan took the candy and both boys popped a piece into their mouths together. 

           In the morning, Jonathan woke his brother up in plenty of time. He had already made breakfast for his family so as soon as they ate he could help get Will ready for the day. Jonathan had bought sweetened cream from the market for their breakfast the way he always did on Will’s birthday. Will’s face lit up when he saw the cups sitting on the table. He didn’t look nervous or scared the way that Jonathan always did growing up and he was relieved to see his brother smiling. Jonathan wasn’t hungry, but he knew Will wouldn’t eat if he didn’t. So Jonathan sat with his brother at the table, taking small bites of his food and making sure Will was eating enough.

      As they finished breakfast, their mother, Joyce, brought out a nice tan shirt for Will. Jonathan recognized it as the shirt he had worn to his first reaping. Will smiled and looked at his brother and Jonathan wondered if Will recognized the shirt. If he did, he didn’t make any indication of it. 

     Will wore Jonathan’s shirt, but he added his own gray vest to the outfit, making it look more like himself. Jonathan couldn’t even be bothered to wear a tie. He wore a white shirt that had hung nicely in his closet since the year before. He wasn’t even close to growing out of the shirt, so Jonathan imagined he would be wearing it for a couple more years at least. If he felt the need to really dress up, he would’ve worn the one black tie he owned. In Jonathan’s eyes, however, this wasn’t a nice enough event. 

      The two boys made their way to the town square, with Will holding his brother’s hand as they walked. Joyce walked side by side with them, trying her best to remain calm as her boys approached the table to sign in. Jonathan stepped up first, as he was familiar with the process and able to demonstrate it for his brother. He stuck his hand out and signed in with the prick of his finger. Will watched his brother and stepped up to the table, mirroring his brother nearly exactly. Jonathan smiled at him and led him to the front of the group of boys, near the stage. Will noticed Mike immediately and Mike waved over to him. 

     “After they finish, you find me or mom or wait with the Wheelers, okay? Don’t just stick around here,” Jonathan told him. Will nodded and hugged his brother tightly around his neck. Jonathan squeezed the boy tightly before whispering into his ear. 

     “I love you, Will.”

     Mrs. Driscoll was the Capitol escort of District Nine for many years. As she grew older, most people expected her to drop out and allow a replacement to step in, but she would always share her love for the games and meeting the stars first hand. She would rave on in interviews leading up to the games that the kids were real sweethearts when you get to know them. It was impossible to hate Mrs. Driscoll, even knowing all she represented. 

     District Nine had the same mentor for many years as well, since District Nine was so low on victors. The last living victor was a strong man in his late forties named Jim Hopper. Jim wasn’t very outgoing, but everyone in town remembered his games. He was a fighter and a survivor and he was able to take out not only other tributes, but the arena’s most terrifying monsters using only his brawn and strategy. He was easily smarter than the other tributes and he even intentionally allowed another tribute to break his foot to free himself from a trap. He was the first tribute to put District Nine on the map as a district that had warriors. It’s only been disappointing since then. 

     Nancy watched carefully as they played a video on the war nearly a hundred years before. The voice droned on and on as they spoke of failed revolutions and the historical failure of the 75th Hunger Games. She was silently grateful this year wasn’t a Quarter Quell, but she hated that both her and Mike would still be eligible during the 100th. Mrs. Driscoll waited patiently for the end of the video before she began speaking. 

     “Hello boys and girls. My name is Mrs. Driscoll as you all should know and I have been doing this for my my my, too long. Now you know that I like to keep track of how I start off every year, so this year I will be starting off with the boys,” Mrs. Driscoll said. Nancy looked across the rope to where she could see the back of Mike’s head where he stood beside Will. She kept her eyes closed and her finger’s crossed as she heard the clicking of Mrs. Driscoll’s heels on the stage. The clicking stopped, then resumed again until she reached the microphone with the name. 

     “Our male tribute from District Nine is…” Mrs. Driscoll’s pause felt like a decade, so Nancy opened her eyes just in time to see her call out the name. 

     “William Byers,” She said brightly. 

      “No no no wait wait,” Jonathan yelled out. Nancy turned to see Argyle attempting to hold Jonathan back as he rushed out into the open. Nancy was impressed with how fast Jonathan made it to nearly the front of the stage before he was surrounded by peacekeepers. She couldn’t see him behind the wall of peacekeepers but she could hear his voice loudly and desperately. 

      “Please! Take me instead! I’ll volunteer,” Jonathan said. Will hadn’t moved from his place in the crowd and Nancy could see Mike pulling the younger boy close to his side. She shed a tear as she thought of what must be going through the young boy's mind. The group of peacekeepers lead Jonathan onto the stage and he stood quietly next to Mrs. Driscoll. The older woman smiled at him and handed him the microphone. 

      “What’s your name, son?” She asked him. 

     “Jonathan Byers,” Jonathan said quietly into the microphone. Everyone went quiet. The people had seen this before, 25 years before. Nearly the same story, but no one wanted to think of how it ended. 

     “District Nine, meet your male tribute, Jonathan Byers! Now onto the girls,” Mrs. Driscoll said. Nancy looked over to where Jonathan had been standing a moment before and her heart nearly shattered as she noticed Argyle standing alone, watching with an expression of intense fear. Jonathan wasn’t the type to survive these games. 

     “Our female tribute from District Nine ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome, Nancy Wheeler,” Mrs. Driscoll said. Nancy froze in her place as the entire crowd turned to face her. She could feel herself shaking as she took a step to move. She didn’t trust herself not to fall on the way up. She couldn’t look at anyone as she made her way down the aisle. She only spared a quick look at her brother who looked horrified where he stood. 

      “It’s okay,” She whispered as she climbed the stairs to take her place beside Jonathan. 

      “Alright you two, shake hands,” Mrs. Driscoll said. Jonathan and Nancy looked at each other with an immense amount of sympathy. They hadn’t spoken more than the friendly greetings that came from picking up their brothers from the other's house, but they both knew how much the other meant to their brothers. Nancy held her hand out for Jonathan to shake and he cautiously took it. Before he could shake it, however, Nancy pulled him close to her chest for a hug. The crowd cheered them on for a moment before Mrs. Driscoll dismissed them. 

      “Jonathan!” Will called out, but Jonathan was already gone, being pushed back a hallway to wait for his final goodbyes before his trip to the capitol. 

      Joyce ran towards the stage with more fury than a wildfire as she focused her gaze on Jim. She yelled out to get his attention and the man turned to her almost instantly. 

      “Jim please, whatever you have to do. You bring my boy home, do you hear me? Bring him home,” Joyce called after him. Jim stood on the edge of the stage looking down at her and nodded. 

     “Joyce. I will do anything in my power to bring him home,” He said. His voice was low and even, as not to alert others of his promise. Of course, he knew better than to promise things like that, but Joyce was his only true weakness, and he knew he couldn’t let her down.

Chapter Text

     Jonathan sat quietly in a room that felt like a prison as he waited for his next instructions. In the ten minutes since the peacekeepers left, he had taken in everything the small room had to offer. The boarded up window near the top let in just enough light to see. The small lightbulb that was dangling from the ceiling flickered from time to time. The wooden bench he was sitting on was big enough for two people, but it spanned the whole room. The room wasn’t big enough to pace or really move at all.
     The door opened and Joyce ran into the room with Will at her side. Jonathan knelt down to hug Will first, ignoring his mother’s presence in the room. He didn’t have the energy to deal with her lecture until he knew Will would be okay.
     “Why did you do that?” Will whispered, choking back tears as Jonathan held onto him. He rubbed the younger boys back for a moment before pulling away to look him in the eyes.
     “Because I’m stronger than you, I have a better shot of winning this than you. Who knows I might make it home,” Jonathan said. He tried his best to keep a hopeful edge to his voice, but he didn’t feel as certain as he wanted Will to believe he was.
     “Okay, just come home then. I’ll just wait for you to come home,” Will said, wiping his tears on his sleeve. Jonathan stood up and looked his mother in the eyes. She looked like she had been crying, but Jonathan didn’t look at her with sympathy. Nothing about his gaze was understanding, he was concerned.
     “Mom, you know that no matter what happens, you have gotta keep it together. You don’t get to lose it and go crazy trying to fix things like you did when Dad left. If something happens to me, there is no revenge, there is no denial, I’m just gone. But Will is still here. Do you understand me? You have to keep living for Will okay because you are all he has without me, got it?” Jonathan said. Joyce nodded through her tears and pulled her oldest son into her arms, making Jonathan tear up a little himself.
     “Don’t cry, Mom, it’s okay,” Jonathan whispered as he held his mother close.
     “Just come home, baby. You’re smarter than them, okay? You don’t have to kill them all just out smart them,” Joyce told him. Jonathan looked at her for a moment, slightly shaking his head to indicate to her the level of confidence he really had in his abilities without Will catching on. Joyce choked back a sob as a peacekeeper came into the room to escort them out.
     “I love you, Will. I love you, Mom,” Jonathan called after them. He could hear them start to call back before the door was slammed shut again and he was left in silence. The door opened quickly and

     Nancy stood up when she saw her mother enter with her little sister, Holly. She ran into her mother’s arms and held on tight, like her life depended on it. She began to sob nearly the instant she fell into her mother’s arms. Karen let her fingers run through her daughter’s hair in an attempt to calm her nerves, but she knew nothing could calm her daughter in that moment. So, she just let her sob.
     “Nancy, you know how much I believe in you, don’t you? You are a winner, Nancy, okay? I don’t want you to get in your head about anything, look I know you’re a good kid, but you’re a fighter too. You’re my strong daughter. I love you okay?” Karen told her. Nancy wiped her tears and nodded, unable to form a response. She knew what her mother was saying. She didn’t want to kill anyone, but she knew she would have to if she wanted to come home. She did want to come home, of course she did. Still she wasn’t sure she had a killer in her. Even if she had a survivor in her.
     When she dried her tears, she knelt down to get on her sister’s eye level. She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t get any words out. What was there to say to her little baby sister? The girl was too young to be introduced to the horrors that she was facing and all Nancy could think was how she hoped her mother wouldn’t let her watch the games. She couldn’t even promise her sister she would make it home. She wanted her sister to stay oblivious, confident as she would be if Nancy were only going to stay with a friend. Her big sister would be home, because she always came home.
     “Holly. I’ll see you later, okay. Can I have a hug?” Nancy asked her. Holly ran into Nancy’s arms and Nancy held her tightly. The peacekeepers quickly escorted the girl and her mother out of the room in such a uniform and unforgiving way. She wondered if the people in the suits had families of their own or if they were programmed like machinery to not have any feelings at all. 

     Jonathan ran into Argyle’s arms the second the other boy was in front of him. He didn’t even wait for the peacekeepers to leave them alone. He needed to be wrapped up in Argyle’s arms the way he needed oxygen. He couldn’t let go, and he knew Argyle wouldn’t let him go until he was ready. Jonathan gradually pulled away so he was still holding him, but far enough away to look him in the eyes.
     “What you did was pretty awesome, man. I mean you just saved Will from certain death. Now all you gotta do is survive it. That ain’t too bad,” Argyle told him. Jonathan couldn’t be nervous when Argyle worded it so simply. All he had to do was survive it.
     “I wish it wasn’t Nancy. I know her. And for me to survive…” Jonathan started.
     “She would have to die,” Argyle realized along with Jonathan. The pair went silent for a moment before Argyle jumped back in.
     “Yeah but I need you to come home, Jonathan. I’d be lost without you,” Argyle said. Jonathan paused and looked at Argyle as time ran out and the peacekeepers rushed in.
     “I love you, Jonathan,” Argyle whispered to him.
     “I love you, too,” Jonathan told him before he was gone again.

     Ted and Mike entered Nancy’s room quickly, needing to make the most of their time. Mike sat next to Nancy on the bench and stared at his feet, unable to look him in the eyes.
     “I know you’re gonna win, Nancy,” Mike said. Nancy smiled, thankful that her brother had come to encourage her. Mike didn’t smile, he didn’t offer her any kind of comfort. When he finally looked at his sister, he looked more serious than she’d ever seen him.
     “I know that Jonathan will have to die for you to win. Please just don’t be the one to kill him. Will wouldn’t ever be able to live with you again if you kill him. Let someone else do it. Anyone else. Please,” Mike told her. Nancy knew then that he was serious. He truly and honestly thought she would win the games. So, she made the promise. She wouldn’t kill Jonathan Byers.
     “I don’t want Will to have to see that at all. I wish he didn’t have to watch the games at all. And you too, Mike. I hope Mom and Dad will pull you away when things get too intense,” Nancy said, looking her father in the eyes. Ted just sighed, like he might say something, but they were escorted out before he could truly form a thought. So he left without even saying a word to his daughter.
     “I love you, Mike,” Nancy called.
     “I love you too!” Mike yelled back. Once again, the door shut and Nancy was alone.

     Jonathan and Nancy were both gathered from their rooms and escorted to the train together. Jim and Mrs. Driscoll walked on the outside of them while Capitol cameras were shoved in their faces. Jim wrapped his arms around Jonathan, shielding his face from the cameras as they walked. Mrs. Driscoll, however, was the opposite. She walked a step behind Nancy, showing her off to the cameras, pointing them all out to her so she could look in their direction. Nancy wasn’t fond of the cameras, but she wasn’t afraid of them either. She didn’t smile for them, instead she looked into every camera Mrs. Driscoll pointed out with a very stern glare.
     “Keep walking, kid, they’re not gonna leave you alone for the rest of your trip,” Jim said, making Jonathan shrink into his arms a little. The term “trip” made everything seem so calm. So normal.

     The train was larger than Jonathan imagined on the inside. It was nearly the size of his house and decorated far beyond his lifetime budget. Chandeliers, long buffet tables, wallpaper and red leather chairs were all placed nicely in the first car. Between the two leather chairs was a short, red leather couch. Nancy didn’t stop to get to know the place, instead she sat on the couch right in front of the projector on the outer wall, watching the replaying of the reaping.
     “If there’s anything you need, dear, you let me know, alright?” Mrs. Driscoll told her. Nancy perked up as she started to leave, calling her attention right back.
     “Do you have a pencil and paper? I want to take notes,” Nancy said. Jim sat next to her in one of the large chairs, intently watching the screen with her. Mrs. Driscoll returned with a small notepad and pencil, handing it to the girl on the couch. She sat in the chair on the other side of the couch and watched alongside the girl. Jonathan sat on the couch next to Nancy, observing her behavior before redirecting his attention to the television.
     In the corner of the screen, District One flashed in large letters as it played the reaping over again. Jim looked from the screen to Nancy as she studied the scene. The volunteers were going crazy, pushing their way to the front of the stage. The boys were first and the whole group fought to storm the stage, pushing others along with them. The boys were aggressive as they shoved their way through the crowd. One boy placed his hands on the stairs and hoisted himself onto the top stair and walked up to the curly haired male escort for their district.
     “Oh, it seems we have our volunteer here in front of us. What is your name?” The man asked.
     “That’s Alexei. He’s been the escort for district one only a couple years. Notice how quickly that kid just flocked to the mic. He’s confident that could be a dangerous thing for him,” Jim told Nancy.         Nancy looked over at him before returning her focus to the screen.
     “Steve Harrington,” the boy said, looking directly into the camera and flashing a smile. Jonathan sighed beside her on the couch, causing Nancy to shoot him a concerned look. Jonathan didn’t notice.
     The girls fought just as much. They were pushing their way to the stage, leaving other girls in their dust. The girl who got to the stage first, was practically shoved up there, tripping on the stairs as she went up. She was pale as paper when she looked into the crowd of people realizing exactly what she had done. Almost like she hadn’t meant to volunteer.
     “District One is technically the district of luxury, but they’re known for having the prettiest tributes. The future Capitol pets,” Jim said.
     Nancy knew exactly what he meant when she saw the girl look directly at the camera. She had freckles across her face and shoulder length caramel colored hair. Her eyes were wide and bright as she stumbled over her words when Alexei asked for her name.
     “Robin Buckley,” she stated. Steve gave her a look and she shrugged her shoulders defensively as he glared at her. Nancy wanted to read her lips, but she couldn’t figure out what she was trying to tell the boy.
     “She did not mean to be there. Look at her, she's clueless up there. I bet you that’s his girlfriend. He is pissed that she’s going. They’ll be a power team. Jonathan, are you listening to me?” Jim asked him. Jonathan looked over to him and nodded.
     “They will be absolute fan favorites. You’ll want to get in close with her. Sweep her off her feet or something, make the people root for you. Nancy, you got a home wrecker in you?” Jim asked. Nancy rolled her eyes and turned to face Jim with a false polite smile.
     “No offense, Hopper, but I don’t need a cheap romance plot to survive these games,” Nancy said. Jim sunk back into his chair and looked back at Jonathan.
     “Uh I’m seeing someone back home I don’t want to get into some love triangle for sponsors,” Jonathan told him quietly.
     “If you want to see anyone back home, you’ll take some advice and use it,” Jim told him.

     District Two was very similar, people fought for their spot as the volunteer for the district. Jim explained that they were known for producing the best trained fighters. Anyone who didn’t go to the games by the time they’re 18 was seen as a disappointment. Victors seemed to spill from their district and their mentor was a stern and strong old man who had trained more victors than District Nine had in 90 years. He was infamous for his frequent interviews with the Capitol about how to produce victors. Even Nancy knew the name Martin Brenner.
     The boy for District Two had light blonde hair and looked to be about 18. He was confident and people nearly cleared the path for him with very little resistance. Nancy wrote down the name Henry Creel with the age about 18 on her notepad.
     The girl was much younger, but she fought her way to the front with her small frame and confidently climbed the stairs to stand next to the boy. She confidently spoke her name into the microphone and Nancy gasped, knowing she could be no more than 12 years old. She looked just as young as Will was.
     “Jane Ives,” she told the crowd. Nancy noticed Martin smiling at her and her smiling back at him.

     District Three didn’t have volunteers the way that the first two did. Both of the tributes were very young. The girl had dark hair and glasses with pink ribbons in her pigtails. She looked scared as she stood on the stage. Nancy wondered if she had family or if she was all alone up there. A girl stepped forward, like she might volunteer but the girl shook her head from the stage and the girl stepped back into line. Nancy wrote that her name was Suzie.
     The boy was young as well, maybe even the same age. He had brown curly hair that it looked like he had tried and failed to style. He looked small as he climbed the steps to the stage. He didn’t look as lost and scared as the girl, but he didn’t look totally confident. His name was Dustin.

     District Four was similar to the first two with everyone fighting for spots. The girl was extremely agile and quickly slid through the crowd, distracting the girls by kicking rocks or kicking their shoes on her way up. She looked to be around fifteen or sixteen and she meant business completely. She had shorter hair on one side and long dark hair on the other. She confidently told the world her name was Kali Prasad.
     The boy was muscular and charming. He fought for his spot and took it like he had always owned it. He was blonde with blue eyes in a green tie and he didn’t smile for the camera. He simply lifted his fist in the air as the crowd cheered his name. Jason Carver.

     The District Five girl was slow to get to the stage, like she was in shock. She had dark red hair and dark brown eyes. She had dark freckles across her cheeks and nose. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and shy when she said “I’m Vickie.”
     The boy was younger and smaller and seemed lost when he made his way up the stairs. He had short dark hair and didn’t speak as he took his place on the stage. His name was Lucas. Nancy thought about how there were so many young kids in the arena this time.

     The District Six girl was just as young. She had bright red hair and a blank expression, almost like she had expected this to happen. Her name was Maxine and she was also notably younger than Nancy. She wrote a guess of 13, but she expected to be off. She didn’t say anything when she just stood with her arms crossed over her chest, looking blankly past the cameras into the crowd.
     The boy was older, maybe 17 or 18 with long blonde hair. He had a mean look about him. Muscular and tall. Maxine was startled as he approached the stage and the two of them made eye contact, like they had something to say to each other.
     “Those two know each other. Maybe a friend of a sibling,” Hopper told Nancy, “Very likely they’ll stick together in the games. He’s strong, he'd be a good ally. She’s young and she'll bring in sponsors. Something to think about.”
     “I will think about it, thank you,” Nancy said, totally dismissing him.

     The District Seven girl was the daughter of a previous victor. She volunteered before anyone else had a shot. She looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old. She was very pretty with dark curly hair and a confident smile. She looked back at her father with her eyes bright and proud before telling the world she was Heather Holloway.
     The boy was a younger boy probably around fourteen or fifteen. He had dark framed glasses and short hair. He was small in frame and looked very out of place next to someone so confident. He was shorter than her and looked so scared. His name was Fred.

     In District Eight, the boy had dark hair and freckles. He wasn’t either wasn’t nervous or he played it off really well. He strutted up to the stage, taking his place at the microphone and encouraging his applause. His name was Tommy.
     The girl was just as confident. She had full red hair and a sweet looking face, but her attitude didn’t reflect it. She took her place next to Tommy, encouraging her applause as well. They held hands on the stage and cheered for each other and themselves. She pulled him in and whispered something in her ear, but Nancy couldn’t get a glimpse of her lips to try to translate. Her name was Carol.

     Nancy rewatched the reaping in her district, analyzing it the way an outsider would. She watched as Jonathan fought to get to Will and take his place on the stage. The way he held onto himself awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with anyone. How Nancy looked so stunned and how their eyes met for a few moments on the stage. She hadn’t realized that she smiled at Jonathan.

     In District Ten the girl was shocked, nervously laughing as she waved to the crowd. The camera just loved her, focusing on her smiling and waving even as the boy was called. Her name was Angela and she looked nearly fourteen, but not much older. Jonathan would’ve even guessed younger.
The boy was tall and athletic, which shocked Nancy. She didn’t think of District Ten as a district with much manual labor. Livestock seemed like a relatively tame job to have someone so tall and fit come from their reaping pool. His name was Patrick and he seemed to present a strong game face. Nancy was interested to see how he was as a player.

     In District Eleven, the girl was tall and broad shouldered. She looked sweet, but Nancy could see her being able to hold her own in a fight. She had short red hair and she looked to be about Nancy’s age. Nancy thought she seemed friendly and strong, two traits Nancy saw in herself. Her name was Barbra.
     The boy was older than her or around her age with brown curly hair. He didn’t seem like he recognized the girl and didn’t even look her way until they shook hands. He had a dark look from his hair to his clothes. He didn’t look tall or strong in any way, but he looked experienced. His name was Gareth.
     

     District Twelve reapings were always quick. They never had volunteers, never had much commotion. The girl was pretty, but average in height and build. She seemed sweet, but not incredibly strong or anything. Her name was Chrissy and she apologized for walking too closely to the microphone. She was maybe only fifteen or sixteen years old.
     The boy was older, in the seventeen or eighteen range. He had long dark hair and he was much taller than her. Nancy noticed how intimidating he was standing next to her. He was silent, which made him even more off putting.
     “He’s nervous. He’s gotta be,” Hopper told her. Nancy just shook her head and stood up. She began pacing around, trying to think. Mrs. Driscoll interrupted her flow to invite them all to eat.
     “I’m not hungry, maybe later,” Nancy told her and disappeared into her cabin on the train.

Chapter Text

     The Capitol was a whole new world for most people, including Robin, but not Steve. Steve had seen the apartments they would be staying in plenty of times in his childhood. Since his father did business with The Capitol, his family would often take trips to meet with extremely important people. Somehow, his father always managed to pull some strings to help him prepare for this exact moment.
    “No way! Steve you have got to be kidding me, look at this!” Robin said, running up to the elevator. She placed her hands on the cool metal panel where the button was, running her hands over it in awe.
     “Have you never seen an elevator before?” Steve asked her. She turned around with a wide, excited smile which made Steve start to laugh.
     “You know not everyone in district one deals diamonds to the capitol, don’t you Harrington?” Murray asked him. Steve looked over at his mentor, but didn’t say anything.
     “My family doesn’t actually make anything. They fix clocks. That’s why we’re not nearly as rich as the rest of the district,” Robin told them. Alexei pushed the elevator button and laughed to himself. Robin, Steve and Murray all looked at him, but he didn’t notice immediately.
     “What’s funny?” Murray asked.
     “I am surprised they let her in. Usually the richest girls make it to the front of the stage. District one doesn’t like to let the world know the poor girls live there too.” Alexei told them. Robin started to laugh, but noticed the lack of laughter in the elevator around her. Steve rolled his eyes, internally trying to defend himself. Of course he knew          Robin’s family wasn’t as rich as his, but surely everyone had seen an elevator before.
     When the elevator doors opened into their apartment, Steve made his way down the hall like he owned the place. The walls didn’t change year by year and suddenly he felt like he was eleven years old again. He could almost feel his parents standing behind him, watching him take it all in.

     “This is where the tributes stay before the games while they get ready. You will be able to see everything from this portable screen,” The young woman told him as she led him into the room. She pressed a small button and the screen lit up with Panem’s news.

     Steve pushed the small button on the projector and it quickly lit up. Two older men sat in two oversized chairs as they spoke to one another. The pictures of the tributes from District 2 were on the screen beside them.
     “Now, Dr. Brenner, you have had a winning tribute for the last how many games?” One of the men asked him.
     “Well, Sam, it’s been ten years now. I think this will be our eleventh win,” Martin told him.
     “Wow, eleven wins? If anyone can do it, Martin, it’s you,” Sam told him. Steve turned the projector off before making his way back into the hallway, noticing Robin still in the living area.
     “Hey, thanks for the tour, Dingus. Since you seem to know your way around here so well,” Robin called to him.
     “I figured your wonderful escort would show you around,” Steve replied as he made his way into the living area with her.
     “He’s going painfully slow, just show me where the bathroom is before I pee myself,” Robin whispered to him. Steve noticed Alexei was pointing out some fine detail about the chandelier and Murray was following his gaze, so Steve quickly grabbed her arm and took off down the hall.
     “Hey, kids, you have the opening ceremony tonight! You’ll have to go see your stylist soon!” Murray called after them, but they were already gone.

     Jonathan took in a deep breath as Jim walked him down a long hallway. At the end of the hallway, he guessed he would be meeting his stylist. She was a young girl in her first year, born and raised in the capitol. Pearl something. Jim told him all about her. When they got to the end of the hallway, however, she wasn’t there.
     “She must be finishing up with Nancy, that gives us more time to talk about tonight. Listen to me closely. Nancy is not your friend here. There are no friends here. She is dangerous as an enemy and she could be dangerous as an alley. Don’t close any doors tonight, make as many allies as you can. Be bold, it will help them see your potential. You want sponsors to see you with the tributes they’ve already fallen in love with. Steve from 1, Jane from 2, Henry from 2, Maxine from 6, Heather from 7. You could go for the underdog route, align yourself with only people weaker than yourself so that when it comes down to it, you can kill them off easily. I’m talking Chrissy from 12, Dustin from 3, Fred from 7, Barbra from 11, Vickie from 5,” Jim started, but Jonathan quickly interrupted him.
     “How do you remember all of their names?” Jonathan asked him. Jim stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if the boy was serious.
     “You don’t know their names, yet? So what are you gonna do when you go out there and someone offers an allegiance with you? Gonna turn them down because you don’t know if they’ll be helpful? Or do you plan on accepting everyone and having all of them turn on you the first day of training for being a traitor?” Jim asked him.
     “You want my honest plan? My honest idea for how tonight will go?” Jonathan asked him. Before Jim had the chance to respond, the door opened to a young girl in a surprisingly simple dress. Jonathan stood up when she entered and she was much shorter than he was. She looked from Jim to Jonathan before holding her hand out to Jonathan. He took a slow step forward, but she stayed where she was.
     “Jim, always a pleasure,” she smiled kindly. He nodded to her politely, but didn’t reply. Jonathan could tell he wasn’t done fuming over the conversation they were having.
     Pearl pulled Jonathan through the door and let him go once they were inside. She looked at him before tilting her head, instructing him silently to follow her. He caught on quickly and followed her lead over to an open curtain. Behind the curtain was a wardrobe full of different things. Pants, shirts, articles of clothing Jonathan wouldn’t even know how to put on.
     “Don’t you worry about old Hopper. He’s been nothin’ but a bad sport since I’ve met him,” Pearl told him. Jonathan just nodded, trying to relax his shoulders. He didn’t realize how nervous he must’ve looked.
     “I’ve been out to district nine before. I watched the peak farming season and the way all the farmer’s looked out there really inspired me. You see, most stylists use the golden color of the grain to inspire their outfits because you know The Capitol loves gold, but I am not like the other stylists. I went to the district and I drew inspiration from the people. I want to humanize you and your home, while still giving you a fresh appeal. I think you’re really gonna like this one,” Pearl told him. She pulled a pair of dark denim overalls from the wardrobe and held them out to him. Jonathan held them up in his hands, inspecting them for a moment.
     “Here, I’ll take them, you go ahead and take the robe off for me,” Pearl told him. Jonathan felt overwhelmingly shy as he slowly handed the hanger back to her. He had already been through the fully nude cosmetic portion, but with a bunch of stylists walking around, the pressure didn’t stress him out as much.

     A young woman grabbed the hanger with Nancy’s clothes on it, hanging it on the door. Nancy already took her seat on the bed in her robe, assuming her place would be there when they were ready for her. After her fitting, she was not looking forward to her full body glam makeover. Still she sat in her white robe with her hair in a ponytail over her shoulder, waiting quietly for her next steps.
     “Nancy Wheeler, District Nine. Stunning isn’t she?” The woman’s voice sounded further away than Nancy expected. She turned to face her and noticed she was standing with a group of other women at a table much further away. All of the women turned to look at her, so she turned away quickly. A couple of women walked over to where she sat and circled around her for a moment, taking everything in.
     “Her hair is so long, but very dull. It’s going to be dangerous. Chop it off. Right at the shoulder. And start a perm, give it some nice body to it. Missy, Heidi, wax her down. I’ll begin her full face when you’re all done with her,” The woman commanded. Nancy’s eyes widened as she listened to the instructions being tossed around without her having even a moment to object. Two of them were already mixing up wax while the other was combing through her hair.
     “Jade, have her take her robe off before you start the cut, it’ll be easier to wax her that way,” Missy told her. Without waiting for the message to be relayed to her, Nancy took off her robe, tossing it to the side so she was in only her underwear and her boots.
     “Those have to go too, Miss Wheeler. The boots and socks, too,” Jade instructed.
     “What? Why no one’s gonna see my feet or anything beneath my underwear,” Nancy protested for the first time since her arrival.
     “Pearl’s instructions. Nothing on top but the coveralls. The socks have to go to make the waxing easier,” Missy told her. Nancy nearly let out a laugh with how ridiculous the instructions were.
     “Seriously? Nothing but the coveralls? They’ll barely cover anything. Does she want me to be naked in front of the whole country? What purpose does that serve? Is Jonathan going to be wearing a shirt?” Nancy asked them. She was absolutely outraged that The Capitol’s idea of gaining popularity was through public nudity.
     “Jonathan’s outfit is hardly different than yours. While you are wearing shorts and he isn’t, his coveralls are much tighter and should be cut lower than yours, exposing more of his hips than yours will be. It’s a play to different audiences, hoping to gain a variety of appeal,” Jade explained.
     “I don’t want that kind of appeal. Does Jonathan want that kind of appeal?” Nancy asked them.
     “You are Capitol property from now until you step foot in that arena, Miss Wheeler. It’s not about what you want. It’s the dramatics. It’s the show,” Heidi said. All of the stylists turned to look at her, but she hid her face from them, not daring to speak up again. Nancy could see her smile at their displeasure in her statement.

     The stadium was loud, louder than any training arena Jane had ever been to. Not to mention the clanging metal of the armor she was wearing. Everything was overwhelming to the highest degree. She couldn’t keep her head still as she looked around at the other tributes and the other horses that surrounded them. She noticed one of the boys near her looked to be about her age. She raised her hand to wave at him and the noise of clanging metal drew his attention to her. The boy and his district partner both waved back with their own smiles on their faces, which made her feel a little less nervous.
     “Hi! I’m Jane!” She called out to them. The boy made his way to her chariot, hoping not to make her move too much from where she stood. The young girl followed in suit until the three of them were standing face to face.
     “I’ll tell you a secret though. Everyone at home calls me El. They think it’s a nickname but it’s because Brenner has picked me to be his eleventh winner,” Jane told them. Dustin wanted to laugh in her face from the looks of her, but she still made him a little nervous. If he wasn’t scared of her, he was scared of Brenner.
     “I’m Dustin, this is Suzie,” Dustin introduced them. Jane held out her silver gloved hand to them and Dustin only smiled.
     “I’d love to shake your hand but I’d electrocute you,” Dustin said. He showed her his glove and held his hands together, creating a slight spark. Jane jumped back in surprise and looked at him, awaiting an explanation.
     “Both of my gloves have a negative charge. Both of Suzie’s have a positive charge. We only get the full picture when our gloves touch. If our own gloves touch, the circuit can’t be completed,” Dustin explained to her. Jane didn’t understand a word he said.
     From a few chariots over, Henry approached slowly and calmly like a lion on the prowl. He watched the two tributes talking to Jane for a moment, silently listening without their knowledge before he allowed his presence to be known.
     “Now now now, who is this, Jane? District 3?” Henry asked. Dustin nodded and Henry turned to look at Jane, completely ignoring him.
     “Remember Jane, one, two, and four. No one else. Come on there’s someone you need to meet,” Henry told her, wrapping his arm around her to lead her away.

     “Are you lost,” Jason asked the girl who was trying to weave her way through the chariots. She looked up when she heard his voice, but he didn’t recognize her.
     “Kinda? I lost my district partner. I’m so ditzy because he’s six foot tall and I can’t find him but…” the girl began to ramble.
     “What’s your name?” Jason asked her.
     “I’m district 12,” she said quietly.
     ”But what’s your name?” He asked her. She smiled shyly and headed towards his chariot.
     “I’m Chrissy,” she told him. He took her hand in his and she looked up into his eyes.
     “I’m Jason. Now let's find your chariot,” Jason said. He led her hand in hand through the chariots.
     “You’re Jason aren’t you?” She asked him as they weaved their way though.
     “Yeah, that’s me. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other a lot,” Jason told her. She kept her gaze on him for a moment before giggling a little.
     “Well I hope so. I’ll need a big strong man to protect me out there,” Chrissy said. The two of them stood by the chariot with the number 12 on the back for a moment before the boy from her district nearly backed into them.
     “Woah I’m sorry, Chrissy, I was looking everywhere for you,” Eddie said, looking at Jason with a stern stare.
     “Well she made her way back, didn’t she?” Jason said, standing face to face with Eddie, maintaining eye contact for a moment.
     “We better get loaded up, huh Eddie?” Chrissy said, hoping to avoid any further confrontation.

     Robin lifted her arms against the weight of her diamond studded sleeves, flapping around like a bird. She turned to Steve, who looked much better in his suit than she did.
     “Why couldn’t this jacket be sleeveless. And why did it have to be branded Harrington? Yours isn’t all fringe sleeves and glitter,” Robin complained.
     “They’re Harrington diamonds,” Steve replied, hardly interested in socializing. He was strategizing. The name Harrington in diamonds on the back of their jackets and her fringe dress and her fringe jacket sleeves. All of it was put in place in the name of word association. Harrington was a name associated with wealth and prosperity, he’s the kind of person sponsors want to associate with. Someone of their kind. Someone they see themselves in.
     “You know what? I think I will make this a Harrington Diamond vest instead. Do you have a knife?” Robin asked.
     “I do,” Nancy said behind them, causing both of the district 1 tributes to turn around.
     “Where did you come from? You just scared me to death!” Robin exclaimed.
     “Why do you have a knife?” Jonathan asked her, nearly under his breath.
     “I raided the kitchen before we left. You can never be too careful,” Nancy told him. Robin took the knife and began sawing through the seam of her sleeves, cutting her jacket into a vest. The first sleeve fell to the ground in a soft thud and Steve watched the scene in horror.
     “Robin, what the hell are you doing? You can’t just make your own decisions anymore, they can really punish you for that!” Steve told her. Robin laughed a little to herself.
     “What are they gonna do? Put me in a kill or be killed arena with 23 other kids? Oh wait,” Robin said as the other sleeve fell. She then picked them up and threw them over her shoulder, turning back to Nancy with the knife in her hand.
     “Who are you?” Robin asked her again, this time making eye contact with her hand outstretched.
     “I’m Nancy Wheeler, District 9,” she said, firmly shaking Robin’s hand.
     “Do you want to wear these, Nancy?” Robin asked, making Steve nearly gasp.
     “Nancy, no, do not get involved in her trouble,” Jonathan warned her, but Nancy just smiled.
     “Yeah I do. Harrington Diamonds, right?” Nancy said. Robin handed her the sleeves, which Nancy slid over her arms, jingling the fringe around a little. Jonathan and Steve shared a quick nervous glance before Nancy looked over at them.
     “The worst thing they can do is kill me. And that means less competition for you two,” Nancy said.
     “Do you not remember your family? Do you not remember what happened after the 75th?” Jonathan asked her, but she remained silent. A loudspeaker called to the tributes, informing them to board their chariots, so Nancy turned away from Jonathan and took off towards the chariot. Jonathan hurried after her after shooting another quick glance at Steve. A sort of silent good luck.
     The stands were packed with people of all kinds watching the fully lit arena come to life with sound and movement. There were people guiding the parade of chariots at the very front and some walking alongside the horses to be sure nothing could possibly go wrong. An announcer by the name of Caesar was narrating the events from a booth alongside Dr. Martin Brenner.
     “As we begin this Opening Ceremony we notice our always lovely District 1 tributes are fully dressed to impress in all Harrington Diamonds. Notice Robin is out here in a fringe Diamond vest that is absolutely stunning. I don’t normally love a double fringe look but the dress and vest really sold me. Of course we can’t forget Mr. Harrington himself over here in the full Harrington suit. Nicely done a 10/10 for our District 1 stylist this year,” Caesar started, to Steve’s relief.
     The tributes flew through the parade to the criticism or delight of Caesar and Martin. The only tributes to really stand out were district three. When Dustin and Suzie held hands, the combined electromagnetic shock lit up both of their outfits in an explosion of light, drawing loud applause from the crowd. When Nancy and Jonathan made it into the light the crowd became extremely quiet for a moment.
     “Now, what is this? Is this District nine in Harrington Diamonds? Is this a hint at an allegiance? What is this girl's name?” Caesar asked.
     “That is Nancy Wheeler,” Martin said, his voice remained low and monotonous, hiding his annoyance.
     “Yes! And she’s with the volunteer, Jonny is it? Jonathan?” Caesar asked, slipping through his cue cards.
     “Absolutely amazing to see tributes aligning differently this year,” Caesar said with a confident laugh.
     “Of course, we know my tributes will not be involved in any allegiance that big. They may have to fly solo this year,” Martin said, watching the ceremony intently.

     As the chariots came to a stop, the crowd watched the tribute in a line. Each sponsor silently judged each tribute, deciding where to put their money. In the stands, Pearl couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous sleeves with the overall denim shorts. Truly Nancy Wheeler was untamable. An adorable trait in Pearl’s eyes, but not in the eyes of the Capitol.