Author's Note: Hello! Sorry I haven't been very active here. I've been very busy lately and haven't had much time for writing fanfiction. Anyway, recently I read The Hunger Games series, and became quite obsessed, and then I was joking about throwing all the Victorious characters together into The Hunger Games arena, and I was like... "Wait, that would be an amazing fanfiction!" So I started brainstorming and now I've decided that this is going to be a multichapter crossover fic! So stay tuned to find out who will survive the Games. May the odds be ever in your favor~
In other news, please follow howtoruinsomeonesperfectday(.)tumblr(.)com because it's my novel's blog and I'm trying to spread it around as much as possible. There's not much on it right now but I promise I'll try to update it more as time goes on and hopefully I get less busy!
I hope you're all doing okay. Tell me what you think of this chapter, and I'll be sure to post the next one as soon as I get time!
Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious. Trust me.
"Let the fifty-seventh annual Hunger Games begin!"
The intercom's voice was a distant echo in the back of Jade's mind, and she opened her eyes to look out into the forest that surrounds her. The forest. Slowly, she took it in. A clearing, the Cornucopia filled with weapons and supplies in the middle. Forestry beyond that, as far as the eyes could see. All time seemed to stand still, and the next sixty seconds, she knew, would be both the shortest and the longest minute of her life. She glanced around quickly at the tributes on the platforms around her, all poised and ready to run. The ditsy red-head, the curly haired boy, the handsome one from District 12 who's hair earned him two extra points for his score than he probably wouldn't have otherwise gotten, the Vega girls that by some strange miracle came from different Districts and apparently weren't related at all even though they had the same last name, the kindly but muscular black one, and seventeen others that had never really struck Jade as important. It was those six that were notable. Those six that Jade knew she had to look out for. She wasn't sure how much of a chance she had at winning. She was skilled, and she had made a good impression, somehow managing to score nine from the Gamemakers, but somehow she still doubted she stood a chance.
The sudden clash of the gong interrupted her thoughts, and immediately she began to sprint towards the Cornucopia, her eyes set upon the glint of the broken half of a pair of scissors a little ways away from the center of the Cornucopia. That was it. That was all she needed. Get that blade, that half of a pair of scissors, and she would be fine. She would have all the weaponry she needed. As for food, she wasn't quite sure. She grabbed the blade and instantly lashed out at the tribute on the side of her, a small girl from District 4, the blade sliding into her throat, the canon sounding. And then another canon. And another. She was certain there were bloodbaths on all sides of her, but she didn't have time to stop and look and wonder who was dead so far. Grabbing a small black sac that looked promising, she slung it over her shoulder, slicing a blow towards the boy from District 6 as he came at her, and took off at a run towards the woods, just in time to hear the shot of another canon.
x
Cat darted as fast as she could towards the woods, only stopping to pick up a small backpack that looked as though it might hold food or something else useful. She didn't need weapons. She knew how to stay alive without them.
She listened to the sounds of canon after canon going off behind her, counting them as they did. One... two... three, four, five... six... seven... eight... nine... ten... eleven, twelve... thirteen.
Thirteen. Thirteen dead in the first five minutes, not even. Eleven left. And she was one of them. With any luck, the boy from her District was still alive. She hadn't known him before the Reaping, but they stood a better chance if they were both alive. And if she had to rout for anyone, it might as well be someone on her side. None of the tributes from the other Districts had made any effort to befriend her during training. She guessed they didn't want the ditsy girl with hair that could be spotted from a mile away on their side. But that was fine. She was smarter than she looked, and perhaps she'd do better alone.
Faster and faster she ran, as fast as she could, a streak of bright red darting through the trees, away from danger, towards something safer, somewhere more fulfilling, though she didn't know what. A tree, perhaps, or a cave. Whatever she could find. As she began to tire, she slowed her pace, looking around tentatively. She needed to stop and drink, or she wouldn't be able to keep going for much longer. In the shelter of a large bush, she crouched down, opening her pack to examine its contents.
x
Beck didn't know how far away from the others he was, nor did he know how many canons had gone off. All he knew was that he had somehow survived the beginning of the Games, and somehow he knew that there would be no more deaths today. There were never any more deaths on the first day after the first ten minutes or so. After the bloodbath at the beginning, the cameras liked to focus on the tributes lucky enough to survive as long as they did, to see what their first tactics would be. Beck knew he had to find water, and that he had to hunt eventually. He had been lucky enough, somehow, to get his hands on a bow and arrow, and although he wasn't the best at hunting, it was enough to keep him alive, and hopefully enough to kill his fellow tributes.
He wondered if the girl from District 12, Claire, was still alive. The odds were slim; she wasn't very skilled or fast. But she was his friend, and had made for good conversation in the tense days before the Games had began. He couldn't help but wish for her well-being, if only for a moment.
x
Robbie was alive. He was alive. He was still trying to process this fact as he made his way quickly through the woods. He had been lucky enough to pick up a large knife, but somehow doubted that it would do him much good. He had never been skilled at using a knife. He was a techie, a nerd, and yet somehow he was supposed to survive alone in the woods. Not only was he supposed to survive, but he was supposed to kill those that threatened his survival. Somehow, it didn't seem like the odds were in his favor.
Since he hadn't been able to pick up a pack of anything, he knew he had to find food and water soon. Looking around to make sure the cost was clear, he spotted a bush of berries not far from where he stood. Relieved, he headed towards them, hoping that the berry juice would help quench his thirst, at least until he was able to find a stream.
He took a berry from the bush, examining it and rolling it between his fingers. Small, dark, and slightly ovular, it looked edible. He lifted it to his mouth, about to plop it in, when all the sudden...
"Don't eat those!"
Startled, he dropped the berry, spinning around quickly and lifting his knife in defense. "Who said that?"
From the bushes nearby, the perky girl with vibrant red hair stepped into the open cautiously, not bearing any weapons of her own. A voice in the back of Robbie's mind told him to kill her now, get it over with, and cut down his competition. Still, something kept him from striking, and he lowered his knife to his side slowly as he tried to remember the girl's name.
"Those are poisonous?" He guessed aloud, motioning towards the berry bush. "Why did you stop me? You could have reduced your competition."
The girl shrugged. "One time, my brother nearly ate those berries, and I remember how frightened I was for him when I found out they could have killed him. I couldn't... let someone else go through that."
Robbie blinked. "So... you saved me because you couldn't watch your enemy... die...?"
"You're not my enemy," she answered simply. "I'm Cat, by the way."
"Robbie," he replied, offering his hand for her to shake. She did so, eyeing him slightly cautiously. "I guess if we're not enemies, we're allies."
Cat nodded. "I guess so. Here, my pack had a bottle of water in it. Help yourself."
x
Luck. That was what had gotten Trina out of there alive. Pure luck. She knew she wasn't one to survive something like that. Already the slice into the neck of the boy from her District, and the many murders around her threatened to suffocate her with fear and hopelessness. She couldn't get out of this alive. She just couldn't. She was going to die, and she had accepted that days ago when she had first been chosen at the Reaping. She had never stood a chance, really. There was nothing hopeful, nothing promising about anything that had gone on these past few days. She had said goodbye to her family and friends days ago, and had accepted that she would never see them again. She was going to die. How soon? She had no idea. It was pure luck that she hadn't been one of the first.
Panting heavily, she approached a small cave, an overhang of rock sheltered by vines and leaves. The cave held peace, promise, and a small dash of beauty as it shone in the sunlight.
x
Andre's eyes were set on the distant stream, the sound of rushing water drawing him towards it, a sense of hope in finding water. As he reached the stream, he knelt to drink, looking around carefully as he cupped the water in his hands and splashed it onto his face and drank handful after handful. He didn't know how long he would last, but for now, he would be alright.
x
Tori looked around, gasping with fear as she tried to run away from the sound of another human walking through the woods. Night was falling, and she knew she had to find shelter soon. She hurried towards a sheltered grove of trees that were closer together than most of the other trees in the forest. Making a small camp with what little she had, she was lucky to find that her pack contained a blanket that was surprisingly warm. She snuggled against the trunk of a tree as the anthem began to play, announcing the death of the thirteen tributes that had died at the Corcucona. She knew that tomorrow, the really battles part started. Whoever had survived this long was built for survival, and she wouldn't have easy competition. Whether she was a Career or not, she knew she didn't really stand a chance. As the dead tributes' faces appeared in the sky, she ran her mind over those that were left, but only a couple really came to mind. The beautiful, vicious dark-haired girl, and the girl that had the same last name than her. Other than that, she couldn't distinctly remember any of the others.