Hello there! This is my first Hunger Games fan fiction, it's going to be a Catoniss story. Anyway, the story is obviously AU and I've taken liberties with certain aspects of the story, I won't spoil them up here but you'll see them anyway.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games
Here's the summary:
Cato is a regular District 2 citizen who trains for the Games to protect his brother and sister from having to go through the same thing. When his brother gets reaped for the 74th annual Hunger Games, Cato volunteers. He goes into the Games, ready and willing to kill anything and everyone standing in his way, but then he meets Katniss, the girl who also volunteered for a sibling and he's suddenly faced with conflicting feelings.
74th Hunger Games, District 2 – Cato Valerius
I wake up in a panic sometime in the early morning, overwhelmed by the various nightmares that preyed on my mind during my slumber. I notice that the sun is not up yet and decide to try and get some extra sleep. I give up after a few minutes and resolve to get ready for the day. I take a quick shower, towel off, and throw on some shorts before heading downstairs. I make my way towards the kitchen, careful not to make too much noise as I rummage for something to eat. Grabbing an apple and some cereal, I slip into a seat near the island. Munching on my breakfast, I try to mentally prepare myself for the day. I know that it's not my year to volunteer but I'm still concerned nonetheless, it's my brother and sister's first year in the bowl and I'm just a bit frightened that one or both of them will get reaped.
I never really thought of myself as being vulnerable during the reaping, I mean, I lived in a career district filled with dozens of other children who would die for the chance to volunteer, yet I still found myself in training for the 'glory of the Games'. Ever since I was seven, all I've done is train. It didn't matter that my great-grandfather had won the 19th Hunger Games over fifty years ago or that my uncle had won the 54th Hunger Games twenty years ago, my family wanted more. They wanted more glory, they wanted more fame, they just wanted… more and I was obliged to give it to them, if only to spare my siblings.
When my parents first pushed me into training for the Games, I promised myself that I would never allow my younger brother and sister to be forced to follow in my footsteps. Since that day, I trained nonstop; stopping only when on the brink of exhaustion or when I absolutely had to attend school. I pushed myself past the breaking point on a frequent basis, sometimes putting myself in the hospital but I always told myself that it was worth it, that if I could win the Games, then maybe I'd spare Albus and Camilla from the same fate. I only had to wait two more years before I could volunteer and save my brother and sister from the life of being a trainee. Little did I know, fate had other plans for me this day.
74th Hunger Games, District 12 – Katniss Everdeen
I wake up in a cold sweat sometime in the early morning, plagued by the nightmares of my past, and the fears of the future. I don't bother with trying to get any more sleep, today's the reaping day for the 74th Hunger Games and I know that I won't have that much time to go hunting before I have to come back and get ready. I quickly don on my usual hunting clothes and grab my father's jacket before I make my way towards the fence. I stop when I reach the fence and listen; it lacks the telltale humming that indicates that the fence is electrified. I slip underneath it before making my way to the log where I stash my bow and other hunting supplies. I spend the better part of my morning setting snares and hunting squirrels.
As the sun climbs higher in the sky, I move to check my snares when I hear a noise behind me. Spinning around, my bow at the ready, I'm met with the face of Gale, one of two of my best friends in District 12. He quickly puts his hands up in mock surrender before smiling and uttering, "I don't think I'd taste very good, Catnip."
"I'm inclined to agree." I reply with a smile as I lower my bow. I let out a sigh as I motion for him to follow me; I still have half a dozen snares to check before I have to be back. "So how's Madge?" I ask in an attempt to start a conversation, "I know you guys have been getting closer lately."
He tilts his head in question before answering, "She's fine, I guess. Haven't you spoken to her?" I shake my head before replying, "No, I've been too busy lately. Prim's been having me collect herbs for her in the forest. Why?"
He gives me a look before continuing, "Well…" he begins nervously, "she's pregnant and we're getting married."
My eyes nearly bulge out of my head and I have trouble breathing for a few seconds before I finally reply, "Pregnant? You got my other best friend pregnant?" I shriek while hitting his chest.
He grabs both of my hands before stammering out an explanation, "I love her, Katniss. I really do."
I look up at him while he's speaking and see nothing but honesty in his eyes. I yank my hands out of his grasp before threatening him, "You better not hurt her Gale, I know that it's probably the last thing you would do but just know, if you hurt her, I will hunt you down. I mean it, Gale."
He grins at me before replying, "I'll hold you to it." We continue our trek through the forest before the silence is interrupted by the sound of approaching hovercraft. I quickly duck underneath a tree and motion for Gale to do the same. Once they're gone, I check the rest of the snares before heading to the hob to sell what I can.
When I get home, I'm greeted with the sight of Prim getting ready for the reaping. Her shirt is partially untucked and she seems oblivious to it until I smile and move to fix it for her. "Tuck your tail in, little duck." I whisper in her ear as I stand up and head to my room. I grimace as I hear my mother's voice, letting me know that she had laid something out for me. I bathe myself in the tub before dying off and dressing myself in the clothes my mother laid out for me.
As soon as I finish dressing, my mother comes in and asks to braid my hair. I almost say no, but I relent and quietly nod my head. "You're a gorgeous girl, Katniss. You're strong, smart, and dedicated. Never let anyone tell you different. I know that I wasn't here for you and your sister after your father died, and I'm sorry for that." I'm silent as she speaks to me, as much as I want to say something back, I can't. Once she's done, I turn to face her, give her a quick nod and walk out the door. I grab onto Prim's hand and we make our way towards the town center.
When we arrive, we're separated into groups based on genders which are then broken down into sections based on age. Since this is Prim's first year in the reaping, I walk her to her section before finding my own, giving her a tight-lipped smile while we wait. Pretty soon, the mayor and other district officials come on stage and blather about the Hunger Games and why they're so essential to the survival of Panem, it's all a bunch of Capitol propaganda disguised in superficial words and forced smiles.
After the district officials are finished, our district escort, Effie Trinket, steps onto the stage and begins her horrid introduction for this year's games. I zone out and let my mind wander until she begins the selection process, "As always, ladies first." She says with a deliriously happy smile on her face, "Now then, let's see who we have here… Primrose Everdeen. My, what a lovely name, Primrose, are you there? Please make your way up to the stage, dear."
My world shatters at that moment, and before I know it, I'm pushing through the crowd and running towards the stage screaming at the top of my lungs, "Prim! Prim! No, I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
The crowd instantly parts and I run to meet Prim before picking her up in a crushing hug. "Prim, go and find mom. You need to find mom, okay?" I glance over my shoulder and notice that Gale has walked up behind me, his arms outstretched to take Prim from me. I give him a thankful smile before handing her over and making my way up the stage. As I'm climbing up the steps, I notice that I'm shaking; I instantly still myself and resolve to put on a strong face. I waltz up the last few steps and stop right next to Effie. She asks me my name and I reply in a calm, strong voice, "Katniss. Katniss Everdeen."
"Well, I'd bet my buttons that that was your sister you volunteered for." She states with certainty. I nod my head before she turns around and begins to rummage through the male reaping bowl. The name she pulls out means nothing to me, "Lyle Aber, is there a Lyle Aber here? Ah, there you are, please make your way up to the stage." I manage to get a good look at him when he climbs up on the stage. He looks like someone from Town with those blue eyes and blond hair, but he's scrawny and looks severely underfed which are characteristics of being from the Seam. We turn to shake hands and I'm surprised by the strength in his grip, he might be one to watch out for later on. As Effie finishes her closing remarks, we turn towards the crowd once more. Instead of the usual silence, we're met with a solemn gesture, a three-fingered salute from everyone in the crowd.
After the reaping, we're herded into the Justice Building to say good-bye to our families and friends. Prim is the first one through the door, rushing in with tears streaming down her face, my mother following closely behind. She jumps into my arms and makes me promise to win, makes me promise to come back. I look into her eyes and tell her that I'll do everything in my power to make it back home. I finally set her down before turning to my mother, "Look, you can't do this again. You have to be there for her. You can't just go off into wonderland and let her starve to death like you almost did when dad died, okay? You've got to be strong." She looks into my eyes before promising me that she won't lose herself again. I give her a quick hug before they're ushered out of the room.
Gale and Madge come through the door next, I smile when I see the both of them. "Well, looks like you've got some explaining to do, Madge." She smiles as she steps up to hug me, tears brimming her eyes, "Yeah, I do. But, that can wait until you come back, okay? And don't say anything about you not coming back, because I know you will. I want you to take this, Katniss. Wear it as your district token." She says as she hands me a golden mockingjay pin. I try to protest but she simply cuts it off with another crushing hug. She steps back and lets Gale have his turn saying goodbye, "Katniss, all you need to do is find a bow in the arena. If you can't find one, make one. I know you can do it, Katniss, you'd be unstoppable with a bow. I'll take care of your mother and Prim while you're gone, okay?" There's a knock at the door as soon as he finishes and he gives me a hug before he takes hold of Madge's hand and walks out, sad smiles on both of their faces.
I let out a sigh and attempt to put the mockingjay pin on, my mind wandering to happier times like when my dad was still alive. I'm startled out of my memories when the door opens to reveal Peeta. I'm surprised by his visit, I'd never really interacted with him before aside from when he inadvertently saved both Prim's and my life by tossing me those loaves of bread all those years ago. He gives me a quick smile before talking, "Look, Katniss I know that you're surprised at seeing me here… but I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll try to keep Prim fed as much as possible while you're gone."
"Thank you, really, Peeta. I appreciate it." I say with as much gratitude as possible. There's a knock at the door and soon enough, three peacekeepers march in and begin to take Peeta out of the room. He looks at me and starts to say something, "Katniss, I… -" but whatever it was, it gets cut off by the clang of the closing doors. I take a look around the room before walking out the door towards the train that will take me to my death.
74th Hunger Games, District 2 – Cato Valerius
After finishing my breakfast, I head out into the backyard for a quick work out, attacking one of many punching bags with as much force as possible to help bleed off my excess energy. After about thirty minutes of pummeling the punching bag, I drop down and begin performing some diamond push-ups, taking care to execute them in rhythm. I switch over to ab crunches a short while later, the sun is just now barely coming up and I still need to go on a run before I get ready for the reaping. I'm broken out of my routine by my brother Albus, who stands at the door with an amused expression on his face. "Do you ever stop, Cato?" He asks as he walks towards me with a towel in his hand. He tosses it over to me before taking a seat near the pool, letting his feet dangle in the water. "Nope, never. Thanks for the towel, little bro." I reply as I wipe down the sweat and take a seat next to him.
We say nothing for the next thirty minutes, just sit there and revel in the rare silence. The silence is soon interrupted by our sister Camilla who comes screeching out the door and pushes us into the pool. I surface sputtering, searching for the culprit before my eyes lock onto her face which is marred with laughter. I look to my right and notice that my brother is smiling, and when he makes eye contact with me seconds later, I know he has the same idea as I do. We quickly rush to the edge and drag Camilla into the pool with us, laughing wildly as she shrieks. She glares at our smiling faces as soon as she surfaces, grumbling about how it wasn't fair that she was the only girl in the family. We spend an hour playing around in the pool before we decide to hop out and start getting ready before our parents wake up.
Forty minutes later sees all three of us showered, fed, and dressed up downstairs laughing at something stupid on television, we're waiting for the moment our parents will stomp down the stairs and ruin our mood, as they usually do. Soon enough, they make their way downstairs, stony expressions in place. "What's with all the noise?" My father asks, "Shouldn't you all be training or something?"
We instantly go quiet before I reply, "It's reaping day, we're not supposed to be doing anything but getting ready."
He looks at us with a scowl, "Sitting around doing nothing doesn't make a Victor, kids. You want to win, you got to train. But to win, you've first got to be picked to volunteer, and you want to know how to do that? You train."
My mother seems to sense the increasing tension in the room and instead of having to deal with the fallout, she heads us off at the pass, "Cassius, it's reaping day. The children will train after the reaping, okay?"
He mulls her response before accepting it and walking away, "Okay, now let's get going, you can never be too early to the reaping." We quickly get off the couch before following our parents out of the house and into the car.
As we drive through the outskirts of the districts into the town, I let my mind wander off to a world where there are no Hunger Games. I see my brother and sister running around and being free, not having a care in the world about what they're doing. I see myself traveling to other districts and meeting new people, starting a life for myself. I'm broken out of my trance by my father when he announces that we've arrived. He ushers us out of the car while he and my mother look for a parking space.
As we're walking towards the staging area, I notice how nervous my brother and sister are. I motion for them to stop so that I can talk with them, "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? Don't be scared, you've only got two more years until I can go in, and you guys know I'll win. And when I win, you won't ever have to worry about training or going in to the Games anymore, okay?" Their faces soften but I can still see the fear that they're trying to hide. I switch spots with Camilla so that I'm in the middle and grab both of their hands before giving them a reassuring smile. They instantly calm down and we walk in silence until we reach the line of peacekeepers watching over the crowds. They separate us into groups based on gender which are then broken down into sections based on age. We drop Camilla off in her section first before turning to the male side where I leave Albus in the company of some of his friends. I make my way over to the 16 year old section and wait patiently for our district officials to begin their speeches.
Once that's done and over with, our district escort makes her opening remarks and begins by rummaging through the female slips. She pulls out a name that I hadn't heard before, Lynn Lucilia, no one volunteers for her and it's quite obvious why. She has the look of a ruthless killer, her face is hardened and her eyes are cold and dead. After the escort introduces her, she begins to rummage through the male slips, and the name she picks is one that I hoped I would never hear, "Albus Valerius, Albus, are you there? Please make your way up to the stage." He has a scared look on his face as he makes his way towards the stage and I notice that no one's volunteered for him yet so I do the only thing I can do, I rush out through the crowd screaming at the top of my lungs, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
I know some of you might be wondering why Peeta or Clove aren't going into the games. Well simply put... I didn't really feel like writing Peeta into the Games. I don't think I'd do a good job with him, especially if the pairing is going to be Catoniss. The same goes for Clove, I don't think I'd do her character any good. That's not to say that you won't be seeing them later on, it just means that I didn't feel like writing them into the 74th Games and killing them. I've also decided to base the story more or less on the movie, mostly because it's been almost five years since I've read the books, and because those looks they gave each other in the movie. Wow, definitely more Cato/Katniss than anything you can get from the books. Sorry if Katniss or Cato or anyone else seemed out of character, it is an AU. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Constructive Criticism is very welcome!